The actor tells PEOPLE the cast and crew battled scorching heat, freezing temperatures and ice storms during the demanding nine-month shoot for season 1
Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
NEED TO KNOW
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Cole Hauser says the Dutton Ranch cast and crew were “wiped out” after filming through extreme heat, freezing temperatures and ice storms
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The actor calls the demanding season 1 shoot “very rewarding” and says he’s excited to continue making the Paramount+ series
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Hauser also teases a “really nice next step” for season 2 under new showrunner Ben Cavell
Cole Hauser says Dutton Ranch‘s grueling first season wasn’t defined by any one emotional scene — it was the unpredictable Texas weather that pushed everyone to their limits.
“I think it was the end of the nine months of work, so I think I was a bit wiped out. The cast and crew were wiped out,” Hauser, 51, tells PEOPLE exclusively while promoting Free Reign’s American Dirt Protein Coffee.
The actor, who reprises his role as Rip Wheeler in the Yellowstone spinoff, says the demanding production schedule was made even tougher by the extreme weather conditions the team faced throughout filming.
“We went through a lot of weather issues with the heat, then the freezing cold, and there were ice storms,” he says. “It was just nuts.”
Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
By the time production wrapped, Hauser says everyone was more than ready for a break.
“I think everybody at the very end of episode 9 was ready to take a breather, go home, rest up and get ready for this next year,” he shares.
Despite the challenging conditions, Hauser says the difficult shoot only made the finished product that much more rewarding.
“All in all, I think the whole season was tough, but it was very rewarding in the end,” he says. “The audience loved it. The critics loved it. I can’t wait to continue to make Dutton Ranch as good as it can be.”
Hauser’s comments echo what he and director Christina Alexandra Voros previously told PEOPLE at the screening for the series premiere in June about the production’s dramatic swings in weather.
“I was trying to keep weight on,” Hauser said at the time. “I mean, I usually put on about 25 pounds [to play Rip], but it was hard to keep it on.”
“I was sweating it out,” he added.
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Voros, 48, revealed the crew encountered both ends of the weather spectrum while filming the inaugural season in Texas.
“When filming began, it was around 106 degrees for the first week that we were shooting,” she previously told PEOPLE. “We finished the show in March and we got shut down for four days because of an ice storm. So we had every weather emoji over the course of shooting this.”
“Our crew is really intrepid. Our cast is really intrepid,” she continued. “We got through all of it, but it wasn’t easy.”
Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+
The physically demanding shoot is now behind Hauser, who says he’s looking forward to slowing down before cameras roll again.
“Taking a breather,” he says of his plans before production resumes, adding that he’s currently focusing on promoting his protein coffee.
The downtime comes after Paramount+ officially renewed Dutton Ranch for a second season.
While Hauser is staying tight-lipped about what’s ahead for Rip, he teased that fans can expect an exciting new chapter under incoming showrunner Ben Cavell.
“You’re gonna have to wait, but yes,” Hauser says when asked if there’s still a side of Rip fans haven’t seen.
“We have a wonderful new showrunner, Ben Cavell, and I’ve been talking to him. He’s a very special guy, and I think the future is bright—not only for myself, but Beth [Kelly Reilly] and Carter [Finn Little] and the show in general. I think this is going to be a really nice next step.”
Season 2 of Dutton Ranch is expected to begin production in early 2027. Season 1 of Dutton Ranch is now streaming on Paramount+.
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