Not James Eddie, Not Morgan Wade: This Star Didn't Know They Were In Dutton Ranch Until The Last Minute

"Dutton Ranch" is the "Yellowstone" spinoff about Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton, played by Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly, respectively. The show brings some new stars into the "Yellowstone" universe, including longtime Hollywood veterans like Annette Bening and Ed Harris. There are also some new faces. Country singer Morgan Wade, in her first-ever acting role, plays a bartender named Carol. James Eddie, a relative newcomer to acting, plays a ranch hand, and he attended "Yellowstone" creator Taylor Sheridan's famous cowboy boot camp to help him prep for the role. However, there was one familiar face from Beth and Rip's life in "Yellowstone" who didn't actually know too far in advance that he'd be on the show: their unofficially adopted son, Carter, played by Finn Little.

Little knew about the potential for a spinoff around Rip and Beth, but it wasn't confirmed whether he would become a part of the show when "Yellowstone" ended. "I didn't hear anything about it until like a week before I flew out," Little said in an interview with People from 2026. We're glad that he was available, since we wouldn't want to see Rip and Beth building a new life without Carter. Even if they haven't formally adopted him as their son on the show, he's clearly a part of the family.

Little was happy to play Carter again. He told People that once he knew he was coming back, "I was excited. I wanted to see more from Carter. I wanted to keep playing the character, for sure."

It's not entirely surprising that Finn Little didn't know for sure that he'd be on "Dutton Ranch." After all, playing someone who's closely connected to a major character in the "Yellowstone" universe doesn't automatically mean longevity for a spinoff about that character. Spoiler alert – just look at Kayce Dutton's wife, Monica, played by Kelsey Asbille. She was killed off for the CBS show "Marshals," which follows the life of Kayce after the end of "Yellowstone."

Little's character Carter came into Beth and Rip's life in "Yellowstone" when he was a scared, rebellious young teen. By the time "Dutton Ranch" starts, Carter is 19 and being made to finish high school in Texas. Little has certainly undergone quite the onscreen transformation, considering he was just 14 when he started filming for "Yellowstone."

If you haven't watched "Dutton Ranch" yet, you might be surprised that it's set in Texas; for those who remember the end of "Yellowstone," Beth had purchased a ranch in Montana where she, Rip, and presumably Carter were going to live. However, as "Dutton Ranch" begins, we see a wildfire destroy that property. That sets up their move down to Texas, and Little's time on the show.