As ‘Yellowstone’ rides off into the sunset, here’s what’s next for its stars

Yellowstone rode off into the sunset on Dec. 15 with a record-breaking series finale that roped in 11.4 million viewers across Paramount Network and CMT — the most-watched live episode in the show’s five-season run.

The milestone followed the Nov. 10 midseason premiere, which saw an even larger audience of 16.4 million viewers across an eight-network simulcast, boosted by encore airings and a special CBS broadcast. Overall, the second half of Season 5 was considered by Paramount Global to be the show’s “most social” chapter to date, with views soaring 103% and engagement climbing 68% compared to the first half, which aired from November 2022 to January 2023.

But while the Dutton family saga has ended, its stars are far from finished. From films and spin-offs to personal passion projects, here’s where viewers can catch them next.

Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton)

Grimes, who played Kayce Dutton, the youngest son caught between family loyalty and his own path, is embracing a new chapter. Earlier this year, he released his debut country music album, and he recently performed on The Tonight Show.

On the acting front, Grimes is stepping into darker territory, with Ari Aster’s new film Eddington, starring Joaquin Phoenix as the sheriff in a small New Mexico town. Grimes told Men’s Health that the experience was “very, very, very different from Yellowstone.”

Now a father, with the birth of his first child in October, Grimes is looking forward to raising a family and doing what he loves best: acting and writing music.

“I do know I will act again and I will play more music,” he told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I just don’t know at what capacity and in what context and what character. That’s sort of what I love about it is that I don’t know. I have no idea.”

Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton)

As Beth Dutton, Reilly delivered one of television’s most complex and fiery performances — but she reportedly won’t be leaving Beth’s world behind just yet.

According to Variety, Reilly and her onscreen husband, Cole Hauser, will be reprising their roles in an as yet unannounced Yellowstone spinoff. While details are scarce, the actress hinted at her willingness to revisit the character.

“I am definitely interested in Beth and who she is after some things have happened,” she told Town & Country last month. “Wouldn’t it be fun to watch Beth go to therapy?”

Apart from Yellowstone, Reilly is starring in the British crime thriller Under Salt Marsh and the prison drama Last Meals, alongside Samuel L. Jackson. She’s also embracing her love for whiskey as a creative visionary for Ammunition Wines and Whiskey’s “Soil to Spirit” campaign, celebrating women who enjoy being a part of the bourbon world.

Reflecting on her time on the show, Reilly shared a heartfelt message on Instagram: “The words I got to say and the woman I got to inhabit. It changed me. It lit me up. It challenged me in every way possible and I will forever be grateful for it.”

Wes Bentley (Jamie Dutton)

Jamie’s morally fraught journey came to a brutal conclusion in the finale, and Bentley is ready to move on.

In an Instagram video shared on Paramount Network’s official account, Bentley joked that while it was tempting to take a memento from the set, he ultimately chose to leave all things Jamie behind.

“I’m kinda ready to drop it all,” he said. “I kinda had a feeling with Jamie that he’s got such bad energy and vibes all around, and it was such a challenge playing him, I was, like, doubting I would really wanna carry anything with me into my normal life.”

Bentley is now focusing on his personal passions — like catching up on his favorite books and documentaries. While his next project hasn’t been announced, he’s open to fresh challenges after five seasons of playing Jamie.

“It was really satisfying to play [someone with] no spine, weakness and emptiness,” he told Us Weekly. “It’s been a great challenge and one that I was really happy to try and meet — and I hope I did meet — but all that said, it is a weight that will be nice to let go of one day.”

Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler)

Hauser played the stoic and fiercely loyal Rip Wheeler. He isn’t riding off into the sunset just yet. Alongside Reilly, Hauser will reportedly lead the upcoming Yellowstone spin-off, per Variety.

While he was tight-lipped about Rip’s future, Hauser kept fans guessing. “We will see what happens over the next year or so and we’ll see what’s next,” he told People. “Hopefully, we can continue to get in people’s living rooms and entertain them the way we have over the last seven years.”

With a new apparel collection in partnership with Lucky Brand, Hauser’s bond with Yellowstone runs deep. He even owns the horse he rode on the show, King, ensuring he lives “the high life down in Texas.”

Hauser is fully aware of Yellowstone‘s impact on viewers, telling People, “To educate people, enlighten and entertain them is always the dream.”

Kelsey Asbille (Monica Dutton)

Asbille’s portrayal of Kayce’s wife, Monica, brought emotional grounding to the show. In a dual interview with Grimes, she told UPI, “I think, for both of us, it’s had a profound impact on our careers, on our lives.”

The actress joked about how Yellowstone also affected her own family: “I have a ton of Yellowstone cast-iron pans,” she said. “I have all the merch. There’s so much merch. My family has all the merch. That is life-changing.”

As well as being featured in the campaign for Free People’s limited-edition Yellowstone capsule collection, Asbille is poised for more challenging roles after leaving Monica behind, having recently led the horror thriller Don’t Move alongside Finn Wittrock.

In a heartfelt tribute on Instagram, Asbille thanked her on-air husband the day after the series finale aired: “To share the screen with Luke over these past 7 years was such a dream,” she wrote.

Gil Birmingham (Thomas Rainwater)

As the tribal leader Thomas Rainwater, Birmingham brought strength and humanity to the screen. For him, Rainwater’s journey challenged Hollywood’s depictions of Native Americans as the “bloodthirsty warrior” or “needy indigent.”

“That’s ultimately the challenge is to have people see the Native people as human beings and not the way they’ve been portrayed for the last couple hundred years,” the Comanche actor told Yahoo Entertainment in November.

Birmingham will soon reprise his role as Martin in Wind River: Rising, a sequel to 2017 film Wind River. He told Yahoo that he remains committed to telling Native stories, urging the film industry to “develop more Native writers and directors and actors” who can tell them.

To that end, Birmingham said in an Instagram video shared by Paramount that the “most precious” thing he took from his Yellowstone experience was working with “an amazing group of people and the opportunity to be part of television history.”

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