Eventually I got to the place where I would completely forget I was on a horse because it was second nature. That’s been great for me as I’ve continued to build this character. Each season I learn a little bit more, thanks to all of these incredible people who come through our crew. The list just goes on and on, including real riders like Ross Coleman. There’s Paul ‘Sled’ Reynolds who helps gets us sorted on the horses. Since then, I’ve also been able to spend time on set with Tom Foran, one of the best cowboys in North America. Jake Ream started it all when he took us on a huge cowboy camp before we started the first season.
Can you tell me about the crew helping you get those cowboy scenes right? Taylor put me on every kind of horse and saddle that exists, then I got to get out there with experts in every discipline you need to know to be a cowboy…roping and reining. I got to ride a horse with the best out there. So the idea of going there to film a show really appealed to me and I looked forward to representing my family. My great grandfather was even the first governor of Montana. They’ve been there since the beginning of time. My dad’s side of the family is all from Montana. Riding around the farm where we had cows, goats, and chickens. I grew up around horses in Eugene, OR, and that environment was a big part of my early adolescence. I’m thankful it worked out the way it did and what we created has resonated with so many people around the country.Ĭourtesy Image How comfortable were you with horses when you joined the show? There was the understanding that if I came in to knock out those two scenes, and was able to show them something, that Taylor might grow Rip in the series.
I could already sense there could be some amazing growth with him. He only had two scenes in the pilot, but something about that guy really pulled at my heart strings.
Looking at the script, the roles that were open at the time were of John Dutton’s sons and the smaller character of Rip. I was excited at the idea of working with Taylor Sheridan and, of course, Kevin Costner. John Linson is a good friend of mine, so he was the one who made sure the pilot first got to me. Men’s Journal: How did you decide Rip was the role for you? Men’s Journal spoke with Hauser about getting his hands back on the reins, why wine is an over-looked recovery modality, and the joys of filming in Montana. “Horses were a big part of my early years, and doing this show allowed me to ride again.”
#RIP WHEELER YELLOWSTONE SERIES#
Being a part of the widely successful Paramount+ neo-Western series about a ranching dynasty allowed the actor to tap into his formative years spent on a farm in Oregon. “There were only a few scenes with him in that first episode, but I connected with him immediately,” says Hauser. Waterfalls, Wagons, and Wild Ales: The Four-Day Weekend in Western Montana Read article