Dave Annable, who stars as Neal McNamara in Lioness, has been seen in another hit Paramount series, Yellowstone. The actor plays two starkly different characters in the two shows, which showcase his versatility.
Dave Annable’s Yellowstone stint was brief but impactful. He played Lee Dutton, the oldest son of John Dutton, in the neo-Western drama. However, the character was killed off in the show's very first episode and later made a couple of cameo appearances in flashbacks and visions.
On the other hand, the actor plays one of the main characters in Lioness, starring as a pediatric oncology surgeon and Joe's husband. Both the shows have been created by Taylor Sheridan; hence, it is not surprising to see Annable’s appearances in the two.
Dave Annable starred as Lee Dutton on Yellowstone
Dave Annable portrayed Lee Dutton on Yellowstone. He was the oldest son of John and Evelyn Dutton. As the heir to the Dutton Ranch, Lee's life revolved around protecting the family’s land and livestock.
However, his tragic death in the show’s pilot episode ultimately led to the succession war between the Dutton siblings in the fifth season. Lee worked closely with his father to maintain the ranch and was seen as the future leader of the Dutton family.
When a herd of cattle was taken to the Broken Rock Reservation, Lee led a group to retrieve them. During the confrontation, he was shot and fatally wounded by Robert Long, a member of the Broken Rock community.
Although his brother Kayce killed Robert to protect him, Lee died from his injuries, leaving the Dutton family shocked and heartbroken. Lee’s death had a lasting impact on the family and the story as a whole.
Had Lee been alive, John would have had a clear successor. In Yellowstone season 5, with John’s death, a succession war erupted between the Dutton siblings to take control of the ranch. As Lee was meant to take over the ranch, his loss created uncertainty about the future of the family’s legacy.
Hence, Lee's death served as a catalyst for the series' main conflict. It not only affected the Duttons emotionally but also led to the rivalry between Beth and Jamie. After his death, Lee was seen in two more episodes of the show in flashback sequences.
Dave Annable's role in Lioness
Dave Annable has an important role to play in Lioness as Dr. Neal McNamara. Neal is a skilled pediatric oncology surgeon, who keeps his family together. He is married to CIA agent Joe McNamara, played by Zoe Saldaña.
While Joe risks her life on dangerous missions, Neal takes care of their daughters, Kate and Tamara. He tries to bring stability and normalcy to their family, as Joe deals with the mental and emotional toll of her work.
At one point, Neal gets frustrated when he realizes how deeply Joe’s job affects their home. He especially feels the impact of Joe's absence from family matters when Kate suffers a miscarriage after a car accident.
When Joe refuses to step back from her dangerous missions and almost gets killed, Neal gets increasingly anxious and confronts her about the damage her missions cause to the family.
In an interview with V13 Media, Annable revealed Sheridan offered him Neal's role in Lioness when he was filming a flashback scene for Yellowstone season 4. The actor said:
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“It’s an interesting story because I was doing a flashback season four Yellowstone episode. At the time he called me to come back to that, he’s like, ‘There’s also this other show I want to talk to you about, playing Neal, the husband of Zoe Saldaña in a show called Lioness.’ and I said ‘I’m in.’”
Yellowstone is all set to air its fifth season’s finale on December 15, 2024.
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