Cole Hauser talks about the challenges of making Yellowstone spin-off Dutton Ranch—especially without original series creator and executive producer Taylor Sheridan.
Houser co-starred with Sheridan as fan-favorite ranch foreman Rip Wheeler in five seasons of Yellowstone, beginning in 2018.
Houser, his TV co-star Beth Reilly (who plays Beth Dutton) and co-star Finn Little (who plays the couple’s son Carter) have been tapped to lead the new series “Dutton’s Ranch,” the first official “Yellowstone” spinoff curated by showrunner and executive producer Chad Feehan.
“There were problems, you know? There was no Taylor,” Houser told Film Inside NYC. “For us to actually be able to work with these new writers, these new directors, these people—everything has changed.”
Cole Houser as Rip Wheeler in the first season of Dutton Ranch.
The only “normalcy” he had was with his co-stars Little and Reilly, the latter of whom is also an executive producer, and executive producer Christina Alexandra Voros. Houser said the cast and crew had to “figure out on their feet” how to move forward after Feehan left, right before the first season premiered in May.
“I like a challenge; it was definitely a challenge. We worked as hard as we could this year,” Houser said, adding that during filming he wasn’t aware of the high expectations for the next show. “I don’t think too much about outside noise or ‘what’s the weight of the show?’ was really obvious to me at the time.”
Dutton Ranch Finale in Photos: Death, Screams, Garbage at the Station
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The Duttons are attacked in the season 1 finale of “Dutton Ranch”. Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Riley) prepare for a cartel attack on their ranch after learning that the Jacksons are actually hiding drugs in cows!
(Emerson Miller/Paramount+)
Read more: Finale at Dutton Ranch ‘Dutton Ranch’ Stars Warn Season 1 Will End ‘Crazy and Horrible’
But he’s ready to do it again. “Dutton’s Ranch,” which aired its first season finale on July 3, has been renewed for a second season.
“I’m proud of what we accomplished,” Houser said. “I’m looking forward to doing it again.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cole Hauser admits Dutton Ranch faces ‘problems’ without Taylor Sheridan