‘Yellowstone’ Star Piper Perabo Says A Romance Between Summer And John Is “Possible”

After her memorable introduction in last week’s episode of Yellowstone—not many people walk away after being a part of a group that throws a rock a Dutton—protestor Piper Perabo’s Summer Higgins continues to shake things up in “I Want To Be Him,” the sixth episode of the fourth season. After spending a platonic night on the Yellowstone ranch with John Dutton (Kevin Costner), Summer is minding her own business in the kitchen the next morning when Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) happens upon her. In classic Beth Dutton form, she threatens Summer, who only backs down after Beth brandishes a knife. Thank goodness John was there to break them up!

After the most uncomfortable breakfast in the world, John takes Summer back into to town, but not before he helps free one of his calves who ended up on the wrong side of a barbed wire fence. As Summer watches John and Rip (Cole Hauser) tenderly return the calf to its mother, it’s clear that her sympathies shift. Though Summer is in Montana to protest the Livestock Association that “protects industrialized animal farming and the mass murder of millions of animals,” she can see that John values the land and his animals just as much as she does. Decider got the chance to speak with the Golden Globe nominated actress about the real-life inspiration for the role, working with Kelly Reilly and Summer’s evolving relationship with the Duttons.

DECIDER: Your husband, Yellowstone EP/director Stephen Kay, is a frequent collaborator of Taylor Sheridan’s. Did he first approach you with the idea of playing Summer Higgins? Were you itching to become a part of Yellowstone?

PIPER PERABO: My husband, Stephen Kay, and Taylor Sheridan knew each other long before I ever entered the picture. They met years ago on Sons of Anarchy and really love working together, so eventually they became friends.

I had a dinner with Taylor, Stephen, and Taylor’s wife, Nic, recently after I had been arrested for participating in a protest in the real world. Taylor asked me to tell him all about that experience. He loved my story and was really interested in civil disobedience and the notion of getting arrested for something you care about. I think that’s where the beginnings of Summer Higgins started.

Summer enters the world of Yellowstone with a bang, not a whimper. What’s the one thing you want Yellowstone fans to know about Summer Higgins?

Summer is a very different kind of character than others that have come into the Yellowstone world. She is open and wants to understand the whole picture. She doesn’t need to have it her way. I think fans are going to be excited about the way that Summer’s journey opens up.

Summer stands up to John, doesn’t blink when Beth threatens her with a knife, and is part of the group that throws a rock at Kayce. Is it safe to say that the Duttons have found a worthy match?

That’s high praise [laughs]. To match the Duttons is a pretty high level, but I’m proud that Summer will mix it up with them at all. Once you see Kayce jump out of his truck, most people will go running for the hills. I’m impressed that Summer stands her ground on any level.

Not many people go toe-to-toe with Beth Dutton and hold their hold, but Summer does. Can you talk about preparing for that scene in the kitchen when Beth confronts Summer at knife point? What is it like working with Kelly Reilly?

I’ve been a fan of the show since the first episode and a fan of Kelly Reilly even before that. I was so excited to do these scenes with her because I think she’s so good. I love what she’s made of the character of Beth. A lot of times in Yellowstone, it’s two cowboys going toe-to-toe, but to see two women go toe-to-toe is really exciting. If you want to go up against the best, you go up against Beth Dutton.

Did you and Kelly get to rehearse that scene beforehand?

Kelly and I know each other in real life. We’re friends, which I think can really help a scene like that, because there’s a certain level of trust. Neither one of us is going to “stab” the other intentionally [laughs]. We did have a lot of rehearsal that day in the Dutton house. Kelly knows that space so much better than I do. It took me a minute to get my footing, but it was so fun.

People often think of activists as unmovable with set ideals, but it’s clear from the scene in which John tenderly gets a calf back into the herd that Summer begins to rethink her agenda. What’s in store for Summer as the season goes on? Do her interactions with the Duttons change?

When Summer first meets John, she sees him as a kind of monolith. What she starts to understand is that John cares as much about the land as she does. They come from really different worlds. They’re both real fighters in their own ways for the conservation of the land. He teaches her a lot and broadens her perspective.

It seems like John has really taken a shine to Summer, inviting her back to the ranch. Could things get romantic between the two?

It’s possible, but Beth Dutton is never far away. She doesn’t like anybody messing with her family.

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