Cole Hauser SaysYellowstoneCharacter Is Doing What Kevin Costner's John Dutton Would Want: 'You Got to Move on' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Cole Hauser and Kevin Costner in ‘Yellowstone’.Photo:Paramount Network - Linson/Alamy

Paramount Network - Linson/Alamy

Despite the shocking death ofKevin Costner’s characterJohn Duttonin the season 5 part 2 premiere ofYellowstone,Cole Hausersays his character Rip Wheeler remains steadfast in exacting the late Montana governor’s wishes for his family’s sprawling ranch.

Hauser, 49, tells PEOPLE that Rip, who is the son-in-law of Dutton, will continue to be “there 100%” for wife Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) “and the family” during the show’s remaining episodes while they continue to try “to figure out the best way forward.”

“That’s what John Dutton would want. That’s what he’s been taught throughout his life,” Hauser tells PEOPLE while catching up for hisnew collection with Lucky Brand.

Cole Hauser and Kevin Costner in ‘Yellowstone’.Paramount Network - Linson/Alamy

The return ofYellowstoneafter nearly two years since the midseason finale, has seen Hauser’s character thrown directly in the middle of turmoil that threatens to undermine the very way of life that he and the Dutton family have fought tooth and nail to maintain.

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Despite that heavy load of personal strife, Hauser maintains that his character is “as embedded as the mountains around him” and won’t have his resolve falter in such a precarious time for the Dutton family.

Cole Hauser. Photo: Lucky Brand.Lucky Brand

Lucky Brand

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Though the actor acknowledges that “s— happens” in terms of Dutton’s death, he maintains that “you got to move on” for the sake of the storyline.

“So that’s how I feel,” he adds.

Hauserpreviously told PEOPLE in Aprilthat “what makes [Wheeler] special is that he has an unbelievable heart, too. I mean, his loyalty is to not only the Dutton family … but to Beth and his kindness. Other than wanting to kill people at times … to me, it’s the best of both worlds to be able to play.”

In his recent interview for his Lucky Brand collection, Hauser tapped into his decades of experience in the field (and in the saddle) to inspire his all “Americana” designs.

“I wear jeans nine months out of the year,” he says. “I wear cowboy boots nine months out of the year. And for me … designing with Lucky was trying to find a way to even make it more comfortable,” he says of the collection which isavailable to shop now.

source: people.com