What role did Dawn Olivieri play in Yellowstone? Star's character explored

Yellowstone aired on Paramount Network for five seasons between 2018 and 2024 and introduced various characters over the years. The neo-Western series chronicled the struggles of the Duttons, who owned the largest ranch in Montana.

In their endeavor to keep control over their land, the Duttons came across a number of friends and foes. In the final season of the show, actress Dawn Olivieri joined the cast, playing a pivotal character that changed the course of the storyline.

The actress is known for her appearances in shows like CBS’ SEAL Team and Showtime’s House of Lies. So what role did Dawn Olivieri play in Yellowstone? The actress played Sarah Atwood, the antagonist in season 5 who was responsible for John Dutton’s murder.

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What role did Dawn Olivieri play in Yellowstone?

Dawn Olivieri played Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone. She was introduced in the show in season 5 part 1, as a clever and dangerous agent for Market Equities. Right from her entry, she became a major player in the fight over the Dutton family ranch.

Sarah was smart and manipulative and had a great influence on Jamie Dutton. Her story in the show was filled with lies, betrayal, and power plays. Sarah first appeared in Jamie’s office by serving his legal papers on behalf of Market Equities.

She knew how to manipulate Jamie, who often felt left out and unappreciated by his family. She invited him for dinner, which marked the start of their relationship, which was both romantic and strategic.

Sarah quickly gained Jamie’s trust and used it to push him into helping her company. She convinced him to undo John’s decision to cancel the Paradise Valley Airport Project, which was a critical business deal for Market Equities.

Over time, Sarah’s hold on Jamie grew stronger. She eventually pressured him to consider impeaching John and become the Governor himself. However, she did not actually care about Jamie’s success and was only focused on achieving Market Equities’ goals.

Sarah became a central figure in the narrative when she planned the murder of John Dutton. She hinted to Jamie that she was willing to kill his father, and hired assassins to make the death look like a suicide. However, Jamie got overwhelmed with guilt about his father’s murder and began questioning her motives.

While Sarah seemed to be succeeding in her plans, Beth Dutton suspected her involvement in John’s death. Beth joined forces with her brother Kayce to investigate the case, which put pressure on her. As the siblings reached closer to the truth, Market Equities became frustrated with Sarah.

Meanwhile, her relationship with Jamie also began to crumble. The two ended up arguing with each other after Jamie realized how dangerous she was. In Yellowstone season 5 episode 11, Sarah suffered a shocking fate.

Right after her altercation with Jamie, Sarah left in her car, where she was attacked by the same assassins she had hired to murder John. The hitmen killed Sarah, marking an end to her scheming and cunning character.

Though Sarah died, she had already done enough damage to pit the Dutton siblings against each other. The succession war between Jamie and Beth continued and reached a deadly conclusion in the Yellowstone series finale.

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Dawn Olivieri has also appeared in a Yellowstone spin-off

Interestingly, Dawn Olivieri also played a role in the Yellowstone spin-off 1883, before debuting in the original series. She starred as Claire Dutton in the prequel show in 2021. Dawn revealed she landed the role of Sarah after series creator Taylor Sheridan failed to recognize her during the 1883 premiere event.

She said in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter:

“As I was coming off the red carpet, Taylor and his wife Nic [Nicole Sheridan] are about to come onto the carpet and I walked directly up to him and stood there. And he had no recognition on his face at all.”

“Nic goes, “It’s Dawn.” And it was like a semi-truck hit Taylor, and he went, “Oh, s***!” He said, “You’re coming to work for me now.” I was real cool about it, but after I went into the corner and screamed like a little girl! Because it’s like your dream offering.”

Yellowstone seasons 1 to 4, and the first eight episodes of season 5, are streaming on Peacock.