'Yellowstone' star Cole Hauser spills spin-off secrets, embraces 'classy' world of American cowboys

Fox News

20-05-2025

Cole Hauser is saddling up for his next adventure.
Speaking with Fox News Digital at the Professional Bull Riding (PBR) finals in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, the 50-year-old actor opened up about the highly anticipated "Yellowstone" spin-off premiering this fall, shared why he loves "putting in the work" when it comes to mastering horseback riding and revealed his admiration for the "classy" American cowboy culture that has recently reintroduced itself.
"Well, first of all, it's not 'Dutton Ranch,'" Hauser, a brand ambassador for PBR, said of the spin-off's rumored title. "That's not the name of it."
While the series' title is still up in the air, one thing is for certain, said Hauser.
"We can expect the same that we've been doing for the last seven years," he said. "Kelly (Reilly) and I going and working our a-- off trying to create something special."
According to Deadline, Hauser and Reilly have closed deals to lead the spin-off series, reprising their roles as Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler.
Hauser's role of the bad boy on the ranch began when his character, Rip, was found by John Dutton (Kevin Costner) as a child. Rip had murdered his stepfather to protect his mother, who succumbed to the abuse by her husband. John raised Rip on the ranch, and he became Yellowstone's hit man by executing violence and murders when necessary.
In an interview with People last year, Cole explained that Rip becoming a fan favorite "surprised the s--- out of [creator] Taylor Sheridan and I, at first."
"And I think that's what's the scariest part," he said, adding "he is just that kind of animal."
Knowing that he was meant to portray a very cutthroat character, he was taken aback when his fans, specifically women, were infatuated with Rip Wheeler.
"At first, to see women coming up and saying, 'Oh my God, I love your character.' I was thinking, 'What's wrong with you?'" he told the outlet before noting that his perspective shifted after seeing the enchanting "bad boy kind of thing that they love."
"What makes [Rip] special is that he has an unbelievable heart, too," Hauser said. "I mean, his loyalty is to not only the Dutton family, but to Beth [Dutton portrayed by Kelly Reilly]; and his kindness, other than wanting to kill people at times, is just, to me, it's the best of both worlds to be able to play."
Similar to his "Yellowstone" persona, Hauser said his passion for riding horses only intensified throughout his experience filming the show.
"The amount of time that I've put in this battle… I was a decent rider when I started, but to be trained by all these unbelievable trainers. I think I'm most proud of the fact that I did the work at the end of the day. I love putting in the work."
In 2022, Hauser described how the role of Rip required grueling hours dedicated to "cowboy camp," his daily training to ride and rope effortlessly.
"You gotta put in saddle time," he told Fox News Digital at the time. "There's no way around it. You're gonna be sore for the first week, 10 days… you have to be great as a horseman. And Taylor [Sheridan] has been great throughout the five years of putting me with some of the best in the business when it comes to continuing to grow and be better not only [in] my job as a cowboy, but also in the world of being a great horseman. So I'm blessed and lucky to have these people around me. And I'll continue to do it. I mean, there's no way you can ever be great at it. It's just one of those things you have to continue to work on."
Outside of playing Rip, Hauser has been focusing his energy on another creative outlet.
Most recently, Hauser stepped behind the camera to produce, write, direct, edit and star in PBR's new brand campaign titled "Be Cowboy."
The four-minute spot, which premiered at the PBR World Finals on Saturday, shares the message that being a cowboy is more than what meets the eye; it's about heart, grit, and how you live your life.
"The world of the PBR and the world of American Cowboys, it's such a classy world," said Hauser. "People don't know that. It's a 'Yes sir, no sir. Yes, ma'am, no, ma'am' environment. And it's just a pleasure to be at my age of 50 years old."
"To see that this still exists in our country, there's just an element of unbelievable characters here," said Hauser, who also hosted the Ultimate Tailgate Party during the world finals weekend.
Fox News Digital's Lori Bashian contributed to this post.