The Real Reason You Recognize Yellowstone's Beth Dutton
"Yellowstone" debuted in June of 2018, the first introduction for viewers to Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton, daughter to rancher John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner). And it didn't take long for Reilly's Beth Dutton to make a strong impression, as a "tough-as-nails," complex character unafraid of being unliked (per CinemaBlend). In fact, it was those very traits which drew Reilly to the character.
"I love her mind. I love her intelligence. I love her fierceness. She's a warrior," Reilly said. "And then, of course, you want to slowly then start to unpack and see who this is underneath. And that for me, as an actor, that's the stuff that I love, and when you've got great writing, you get to really trust going there with some of the more difficult stuff."
And while her character is quite intimidating, Reilly herself is described as just the opposite. "She is one of the sweetest people and sweetest actors," Wes Bentley, who plays Jamie Dutton, told CinemaBlend." She has to go so far to get to Beth. She does an amazing job. It's great to watch her. She's very intimidating as Beth, though. I get worked up for these scenes, and then she delivers."
Fans can't get enough of Kelly Reilly in this role
Numerous fans agree that it is great to watch Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton. Since the start of "Yellowstone," there have been so many products and posts dedicated to this character. For instance, Twitter is covered with words and phrases such as "Beth Dutton for Prez 2024" and "When I grow up, I want to be Beth Dutton."
One tweet read, "I recently watched all of #Yellowstone, and I just need to yell about how Kelly Reilly is giving one of the best performances on TV as Beth Dutton right now, and we should all be talking about it more." Another said, "Beth Dutton could ruin my life at any given moment, and I would tell her thank you."
The fans' enthusiasm isn't too surprising, considering the fact that the two-hour series premiere of "Yellowstone" made it the most-watched original scripted series on Paramount Network of all time (via Deadline), and its fourth season two-hour premiere became the most-watched episode on cable since 2018 (via Deadline).
Before Yellowstone, this actress was in several other popular shows and movies
Kelly Reilly may be known by many for her work in "Yellowstone," but she is an award-winning actor who's appeared on the London stage, TV, and film, which includes roles in some recent and popular movies.
In 2005, she was Caroline Bingley in "Pride & Prejudice," and between 2009 and 2012, she played Anna Travis in "Above Suspicion." Films that feature Reilly include "Me and Orson Welles" from 2008, in which she portrayed Muriel Brassler; "Triage" from 2009, in which she portrayed Diane; "Flight" from 2012, in which she portrayed Nicole; "A Single Shot" from 2013, in which she portrayed Jess; and "Heaven Is for Real" from 2014, in which she portrayed Sonja Burpo. In 2015, she was also Jordan Semyon, the wife of Frank Semyon, Vince Vaughn's character, on the television series "True Detective."
When "Yellowstone" first started, many probably recognized Reilly from "Sherlock Holmes," as she portrayed Mary Morstan in 2009, a role she reprised in 2011 in "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" (via IMDb).
Kelly Reilly is part of the Sherlock universe
"Sherlock Holmes" and its sequel, "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," are stories based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character of the same name. They both star Robert Downey Jr. as the title character and Jude Law as Dr. John Watson. Kelly Reilly's character, Mary Morstan, is a governess whom Watson marries.
For years, fans have been wondering if and when a third installment could be expected, as the first draft was said to have been in progress back in October 2011, as reported by Deadline. In October 2020, however, the director said the project was "on the back burner," according to Digital Spy. An early report said the movie's release date would be December 22, 2021, which has clearly not panned out (via Devdiscourse).
Additionally, Downey Jr. said he wants to create an entire Sherlock universe back in 2020, as stated in Fast Company, with spin-off films, a television series, and other media. With that plan and with the success of the current season of "Yellowstone" (Season 4, which started up on November 27, 2021), fans can expect to see much more of Reilly.