The second half of Yellowstone Season 5 is taking a while to arrive. Because of the paralyzing combination of Kevin Costner’s dispute with Paramount over returning to the show and the writers’ and actors’ strikes, Yellowstone’s midseason hiatus is stretching out from a planned six months to nearly two years. For the most part, the show’s cast members have been quiet about the SAG-AFTRA strike. But they’ve been keeping busy with projects on and off-screen. Here’s what the main Duttons have been up to during Yellowstone’s Season 5 hiatus.
Kevin Costner (John Dutton)
Kevin Costner has been very busy during his (probably permanent) Yellowstone hiatus. He’s been finishing Horizon, the Western film he’s writing, directing, producing and starring in that started his battle with the producers of Yellowstone in the first place. He also got divorced from Christine Baumgartner, his wife of 13 years. And he reunited with his country-rock band, the Modern West.
Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton)
Beth Dutton actress Kelly Reilly has been working all through the break. She filmed a Paramount+ coming-of-age movie called Little Wing with Succession star Brian Cox. (Beth Dutton and Logan Roy are a funny pairing for a family movie, aren’t they? We’re so used to hearing them say the least family f—ing friendly dialogue imaginable.) She appeared in a French comedy series called Greek Salad. And she’s filming a movie called Here with Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis that will use AI to de-age actors in real time. Amidst all that, she found time to celebrate her 11th wedding anniversary to husband Kyle Baugher in Utah and take in her sister-in-law Claire Oswalt’s art show in New York.
Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler)
The man who so perfectly embodies badass ranch foreman Rip Wheeler has spent his Yellowstone hiatus focusing on his coffee company, Free Rein, which recently opened its first store in San Angelo, Texas. He’s also been doing charitable work as a board member of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which pays for the education of children of special forces soldiers killed in the line of duty. And he got a new dog!
Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton)
Luke Grimes, who plays John Dutton’s favorite son, Kayce, is following in his TV dad’s footsteps and pursuing a sideline in country music. He just released his debut EP, Pain Pills Or Pews, and is embarking on a short cross-country tour to promote it. He’s also the face of Stetson Legend, a new fragrance from the cowboy hat company. And he starred in the Netflix romantic comedy movie Happiness for Beginners.
Wes Bentley (Jamie Dutton)
Wes Bentley, portrayer of John Dutton’s hated adopted son, Jamie, has been keeping it low-key during the hiatus. He told Men’s Health that he doesn’t work when the show is on hiatus, because it takes him “a long time to shake out of” playing the super-sad, super-intense Jamie. So Bentley is probably in Los Angeles, spending time with his family and playing soccer.
Kelsey Asbille (Monica Dutton)
Kelsey Asbille, who plays Kayce’s misfortune-prone wife Monica, went to Bulgaria to film a horror movie called Don’t Move. In the Sam Raimi-produced fright flick, she plays a woman fighting to survive while her body shuts down from a paralytic agent injected into her by a serial killer played by Finn Wittrock, which feels like something that would happen to Monica Dutton. The production got an interim agreement to film during the SAG-AFTRA strike.