The Yellowstone universe doesn’t take a break — and neither did the Texas heat. Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler in the Paramount spinoff Dutton Ranch, opened up about one of the most grueling on-set challenges he’s faced yet: staying in physical shape while filming outdoors in temperatures that pushed past 118 degrees. Speaking to People magazine on June 4, Hauser admitted the extreme conditions made it nearly impossible to hold the weight he typically gains for the role.
“I was trying to keep weight on,” the 51-year-old said. “I usually put on about 25 pounds, but it was hard to keep it on. I was sweating it out.”
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Texas Is a “Beast” — Hauser’s Words
Unlike the sweeping Montana landscapes of Yellowstone‘s original run, Dutton Ranch drops Rip and Beth Dutton (played by Kelly Reilly) into the heart of Texas — a forced relocation driven by a devastating wildfire that destroys their Montana home. But the real-world version of that upheaval wasn’t just narrative. The cast and crew were right there with them.
In a separate conversation with USA TODAY last month, Hauser gave an unfiltered take on what production actually looked like on the ground.
“Texas is a beast,” he said. “We’re not on soundstages, except for interior house shots. The idea of the crew and the actors being outside — it’s 118 degrees out there. And then it will start snowing. It’s like the weather can’t make up its mind.”
3,400 Rattlesnakes — and Six Wranglers to Handle Them
If triple-digit heat and unpredictable weather weren’t enough, the production also had to contend with thousands of rattlesnakes in the surrounding area. Hauser revealed the jaw-dropping number during a May 19 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show: over eight months of filming, snake wranglers removed a staggering 3,400 rattlesnakes from the vicinity of the set.
At any given point, Kelly Reilly noted, there were six snake wranglers actively working on set — a necessary precaution as she was often filming in stiletto heels while running through open grass fields.
“And I’m just praying, like, please let them have got all the snakes in this vicinity,” Reilly said. “They just pick them up and put them somewhere far away from us.”
Hauser himself was turned back from a night shoot after wranglers discovered a den of 40 to 50 rattlesnakes at the planned location. Dutton Ranch director Christina Alexandra Voros also previously confirmed to USA TODAY that 275 snakes had already been caught at that point in production — underscoring just how relentless the effort was.
“There are snakes onscreen, but far more don’t make it on camera,” Voros said. “Texas is filled with things that will bite you, sting you and scare you.”
A New Chapter, Earned the Hard Way
Dutton Ranch marks a significant turn for the Yellowstone franchise — arriving after five seasons of the flagship show and two Dutton-family prequel series. The move to Texas is both a story reset and a real production challenge, with almost all exterior scenes shot on location rather than controlled studio environments.
For Hauser, the physical toll is part of the commitment. Whether it’s gaining weight for the character or sweating it off under the unforgiving Texas sun, Rip Wheeler doesn’t get to cut corners — and neither does the man playing him. Dutton Ranch is currently airing on Paramount Network.