Since 2018, Wes Bentley has portrayed Jamie Dutton in Taylor Sheridan & John Linsonβs Yellowstone.
We are well acquainted with Wes Bentley, a versatile actor whose career has been as varied as the roles he has mastered. From the shuttered windows of suburban discontent inΒ American BeautyΒ to the brutal arenas ofΒ The Hunger GamesΒ and the far reaches of space inΒ Interstellar, the actor has impressed viewers with his dynamic performances.
Wait, didnβt we mention his profound portrayal of detective John Lowe inΒ Hotel, a role that engraved his presence in our TV binges? Yet, itβs his convincing transformation into Jamie Dutton, a character grappling with power & vulnerability on the ranchlands of the hit seriesΒ Yellowstone, that has truly mirrored his talentβs depth.
With a candid appearance onΒ Jimmy Kimmel LiveΒ in 2022, he shared several anecdotes, including how his grandfather, a retired evangelical minister with strong principles, decided to opt out of theΒ YellowstoneΒ experience.
Yellowstoneβs First Episode Failed to Struck a Chord with Wes Bentleyβs Grandfather?
Itβs no secret thatΒ Wes Bentley, 45, has truly immersed himself in the character of Jamie DuttonΒ onΒ Yellowstone. From scandalous family drama to shocking revelations, Jamie has been through the wringer on the hit Paramount Network series.
But what some may not know is the personal impact thatΒ Yellowstoneβs first episode had on Bentleyβs own family. During a 2022 appearance onΒ Jimmy Kimmel Live, Bentley revealed that his grandfather, a βretired evangelical ministerβ, was deeply upset by the n*dity featured in the pilot episode,Β Daybreak. Bentley confessed:
I forgot to tell him there was n*dity in the first episode. So, he doesnβt want anymore to do with it.
It seems that even a seasoned actor like Bentley canβt avoid ruffling some feathers when it comes to family viewing preferences. The actor admitted with a laugh:
I probably should have let him know.
Around the 45-minute mark of theΒ DaybreakΒ episode, the series doesnβt hesitate to turn up the heat, presenting us with one of the most intimate and electrifying encounters of the entire season. The scene featured Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton, who got their flirt on bright & early.
Well, Bentley also discussed his βdarkβ experience of playing the son of the Dutton dynasty inΒ Yellowstone. He toldΒ Jimmy Kimmel:
It can be fun, but it also can be very draining and tiring because itβs a lot of dark stuff. Itβs tricky, because you try and play him like heβs not seeing himself that way.
Despite this rocky start, the actor has embraced theΒ challenges of portrayingΒ Jamie Dutton with grace.
Wes Bentley Opened Up About His Personal StrugglesΒ Behind His Role inΒ Yellowstone
For Wes Bentley, stepping into Jamieβs shoes means being brave and vulnerable, allowing himself to fully embrace the characterβs tumultuous journey without reservation. And itβs this emotional availability that hasΒ allowed the actor to surprise himself with the richness and authenticity of his performance.
Bentleyβs own battle with βsadnessβ has grounded hisΒ YellowstoneΒ character and forced him to redraw boundaries between his personal and work lives. Last year, the actor spoke about Jamie withΒ The New York Times:
Heβs incredibly sad. Iβve always dealt with my sadness with things like comedy, or humor, or dr*gs at one point, or trying to just ignore it and finding another way out of it. But you canβt do that when youβre trying to portray someoneβs sadness.
AsΒ YellowstoneΒ gears up for its highly anticipated second part of the fifth season, fans can expect to see Jamie Duttonβs story come to a thrilling conclusion. Bentley continued:
Iβve prided myself for most of my career on leaving it at the door, or like an athlete would say, leaving it on the field. But Jamieβs sadness permeates my life, even though Iβm not sad.Β
So, while his grandfather may have been initially put off by Beth Duttonβs scenes inΒ Yellowstoneβs first episode, thereβs no denying that Bentleyβs portrayal of Jamie Dutton is nothing like a cakewalk. And as Bentley continues to navigate the complex emotional landscape of his character, viewers are in for a wild ride asΒ YellowstoneΒ Season 5 unfolds.
Anyway, grab your cowboy hat, because the second part of Season 5 will premiere on November 10, 2024.