You might know Jennifer Landon as Teeter, the pink-haired ranch hand who stole hearts on the hit Western “Yellowstone” after the character was introduced in Season 3. Still, Jennifer’s history in show business extends well beyond her years. She’s one of nine siblings born to legendary actor Michael Landon across three marriages, and many of them grew up center stage.
When Jennifer was 6 years old in 1989, she graced the screen for the first time alongside her father for an episode of “Highway to Heaven.” Despite her dad’s celebrity status, that’s not to say it was all work, never play, though. She reminisced about a fun snow day with her father with Smashing Interviews Magazine in July 2017. “At three or four years old, I didn’t know how high [the snow] was, but I walked outside and all the fresh snow was pink … completely pink,” Jennifer said. “He had taken Nestle’s Quik strawberry powder, which was my favorite food on earth and forbidden by my mother, and covered the entire backyard in it. He walked both of us out there waist deep in pink snow with spoons and we were eating it. That was one of the peak moments of my entire life. It was magic.”
Though Jennifer looks back on certain memories of her childhood fondly, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t also plagued by tragedy. Her father died from cancer in 1991 at the age of 54, and shortly after that, her mother, Cindy, was almost killed in a horseback riding accident. Jennifer has also dealt with tragedies in her adult life as well.
Her father, actor Michael Landon, passed away before Jennifer reached double digits
Jennifer Landon’s half-sister, Leslie Landon Matthews, told Fox News Digital in 2024 that their father Michael Landon — best known as the patriarch from “Little House on the Prairie” — wasn’t great at keeping up with his health. Matthews said, ” … by the time my dad was having uncontrollable pain in his stomach, he was on vacation with my stepmom and younger sibling.” Michael was forced to cut the trip short and visit the doctor, and he received a pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Three months after, the actor passed away on July 1, 1991. Jennifer, his youngest daughter, was only 7 years old. Sean Landon, Michael’s youngest kid, was 4.
“I understood more [than Sean]; I knew if he was doing well or not well on any given day. When he passed away, I suddenly saw things differently and questioned everything,” Jennifer remarked to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network in September 2014. “Even today I question rules and structure. I can’t say how much his death has affected me, but I know it’s a significant part of the fabric of who I am.”
Looking back, Jennifer is grateful that her father’s legacy lives on screen. “His mission was to genuinely — and on a spiritual level — connect with people. When I watch his shows, I can see that even though he’s acting, he is always tethered to the audience.” Though Jennifer lost her father at a tragically young age, it’s clear she’s wise beyond her years, and that is likely in part thanks to him.
Jennifer Landon’s mother was almost killed shortly after her father died
It was a full-circle moment when Jennifer Landon stepped onto the “Yellowstone” set. What you may not know about Landon is that she grew up riding. However, she never thought she’d be part of the horse world again, and she had good reason. Less than a year after her father’s death, Jennifer; her little brother; and their mother, Cindy Landon, went to Arizona to buy a new horse, as the actress told Cowgirl Magazine in February 2023. Her mom accidentally spooked the horse, causing it to throw her off with one foot remaining in the stirrup. Unable to get her foot released, Cindy was pulled around the arena. “She really shouldn’t have survived that accident,” Jennifer remarked, “and I was still quite young and just stopped riding.” The incident was traumatic enough for her to hang up her hat for good until a particular role asked it of her.
Her agents exaggerated Jennifer’s resume just a touch to land her the role, calling her “a professional rider” when speaking with the team over at “Yellowstone,” but looking back, Jennifer’s grateful she found her way back in the saddle. “It was really healing on one level, but I do have fear every day that I get on a horse. But each season I ride a different horse and by the end of filming I’m really attached to it.” Though “Yellowstone” saw its close in 2024 after five seasons, as of writing it’s believed Jennifer will have a role in one of the franchise’s spinoffs — so fans may see Teeter atop a mighty steed again.
A beloved member of the Yellowstone crew passed away suddenly in 2021
On July 7, 2021, Matt Bulleri, a crew member at “Yellowstone,” passed away from a heart attack while filming another show. Jennifer Landon mourned his loss on social media.
In Landon’s Instagram post, she included a heartbreaking picture of Matt holding his baby girl, writing, “We lost a great member of the Yellowstone family,” over the photo. Landon also offered a GoFundMe link for users to donate funds to his widow, Alyssa Bulleri, and their then-6-month-old daughter. One fan commented, “Such a tragedy. I am so sorry for your loss.”
As written in the GoFundMe, Matt was a key grip on a plethora of films and TV shows. Paul Merryman, who set up the fundraiser for Matt’s family, said on the GoFundMe page, “Matt was an amazing guy and the hardest working grip I know. He was more than a grip. He was an artist and loved making movies and TV shows. … Matt was the most generous guy I know and I want to support his family and celebrate his life.”
Jennifer Landon is one of many Yellowstone cast members who was injured on set
It’s no secret that filming “Yellowstone” was no easy feat; many of the cast got injured while filming, including Jennifer Landon. During an episode of The Official Yellowstone Podcast from November 2022, the actress talked to Jefferson White (who played Jimmy on the show) about an injury sustained on set.
Landon told White about a scene where Teeter and other characters engaged in “cowboy jousting” (when people try to lasso each other), and she said the cast members would goof off and play, even when the cameras weren’t rolling. “I had rope burn so bad, I learned never to celebrate by grabbing the end of your rope,” Landon said. She then detailed how she had to sleep with her arm up toward an open window so the cold air could heal the burn. The wound didn’t keep Landon down for long, though, as she finished the story on a lighthearted note: “But it was worth it, Jeff.”
The actors had so much fun on set that they weren’t ready to say goodbye when the show came to a close in 2024. Ahead of the series finale, Landon posted a touching tribute to Teeter and the show on Instagram. “I can’t believe we only have one episode left. Shooting this season was one of the greatest summers of my life,” she wrote in the caption, continuing, ” … after five years and not a lick of natural talent, @jrodstunts finally got me team roping. And I couldn’t have done it without having the most supportive and understanding heeler on earth @ryanbinghamofficial.” It seems a part of the cowboy lifestyle will stay with Landon and that she’s back in the saddle, for good.