‘Yellowstone’ Star Cole Hauser Says Rip “Doesn’t Know How Not To Fight For Beth”

Everyone’s favorite couple, Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), are finally reunited after the devastating events of the Yellowstone Season 3 finale. Though Beth is scarred, their love seems stronger than ever…but how will their relationship stand the test of parenthood? While visiting her father, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), in the hospital, Beth encounters hell raising teen Carter (Those Who Wish Me Dead star Finn Little), whose own father is dying due to heroin use. When Carter gets in trouble with the law for trying to rob a store with a screw driver, Beth gives him a temporary home on the ranch, pending Rip’s approval.

As Yellowstone fans know, Rip was taken in by John Dutton as a teen and given a second life after he killed his father who had murdered his mother and brother. So why is Rip so hesitant to give Carter a second chance like he was once given? We spoke to Cole Hauser about Carter’s potential impact on Beth and Rip’s relationship, Rip’s devotion to Beth, and the force behind-the-scenes on Yellowstone who is about to come into his own on-screen.

Decider: This season we are introduced to Finn Little’s Carter whose situation seems like an obvious mirror of Rip’s past. Why do you think Rip is so resentful and reluctant to help him at first?

Cole Hauser: Initially, Rip has no respect for Carter at all. The kid’s a thief and a piece of shit. Rip sees that right away and doesn’t want that liability around the ranch. It takes him a minute to realize that there’s a way that he can actually give this kid some input into his own life that will help him grow. That’s something that obviously happens after s conversation with Beth. However, he’s not going to babysit Carter. Rip has a lot to figure out and a lot to do in this season. So, to Rip, it was just one more thing. However, in the end, I think it is a wonderful storyline with Kelly and Finn and me.

How does the presence of Carter affect Rip’s and Beth’s relationship?

When somebody like Carter is added to the mix with Beth and Rip, they have to navigate through those waters. It’s either going to work and make them better for it, or it’s going to make them worse. Obviously, the audience will have to see what happens, but I think that it’s a great storyline, like I said before. It lets the viewers see not only Rip’s heart and who he is, but also Beth’s and how they potentially can manage a child in their lives.

While Rip and Beth are devoted to each other, there is certainly a lot in their past that they are not dealing with. What does the future hold for these two?

Anything’s possible, but Rip loves her, as everybody knows, unequivocally. It’s not that Beth can do no wrong, but that she is somebody that he’s going to continue to fight for. He doesn’t know how to not fight for her. He loves Beth that much. This year is a wonderful year of growth for these characters. In season one, two, three, and now four Taylor has built and continued to show the complex relationship between those two people. Taylor knows how important the Rip and Beth dynamic is not only to the audience, but also to the fabric of the show. Their relationship impacts not only John Dutton, but Kayce and his wife, Monica, as well. It’s really a beautiful storyline, and I love going to work and playing with it every day. I know Kelly does as well.

What scenes are more fun to film with Kelly Reilly: the ones in which Rip and Beth are fighting or the ones in which Rip and Beth are flirting?

They’re both fun. I love when she gets pissed off at me. It’s funny. [laughs] I enjoy both, oddly enough.

You mention Taylor Sheridan. It seems like his character, Travis Wheatley, will have an expanded role in Season 4 as the Duttons branch out into the horse business. Is it a trip to act opposite the show’s creator/writer/director on-screen?

It’s good. The script tends to get thrown out and Taylor will start saying shit that makes him tougher or better and then I’ll try to outdo him. It’s fun. We play on screen together like we do in life. It’s really the first time that I’ve been really free to just totally improvise and say whatever I want.

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