โ€œYellowstoneโ€ Star Cole Hauser Thought Fans Would Hate His โ€œBad Boyโ€ Character Rip Wheeler

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Cole Hauser Was Surprised Yellowstone Fans Liked Rip Wheeler

Yellowstone star Cole Hauser never anticipated that his character, Rip Wheeler, would be loved by viewers. In fact, he expected the opposite.

During a recent interview with PEOPLE, Hauser shared how he initially thought fans would react to Rip. Since Rip has a hot temper and tends to gravitate toward violence, Hauser thought heโ€™d โ€œbe so hatedโ€ by Yellowstone fans.

RELATED: ACTOR WHO PLAYS JAMIE ON โ€œYELLOWSTONEโ€ SHARES HOW IT FEELS TO PLAY A HATED CHARACTER

Cole Hauser, who plays Rip Wheeler, thought "Yellowstone" fans would hate the character
Yellowstone / Facebook

However, much to Hauserโ€™s shock, fans loved Rip from the start of the series. The positive response also surprised show creator and writer Taylor Sheridan.

Putting it simply, Hauser said, โ€œ[It] surprised the sโ€” out of Taylor Sheridan and I, at first.โ€

Hauser said he seriously questioned fans, especially women, who told him they loved Rip:

โ€œAt first, to see women coming up and saying, โ€˜Oh my God, I love your character.โ€™ I was thinking, โ€˜Whatโ€™s wrong with you?โ€˜โ€

But as Yellowstone continued, Hauser understood the fansโ€™ point of view. He realized something about โ€œbad boyโ€ characters like Rip draws people in. โ€œโ€ฆI see the bad boy kind of thing that they love,โ€ he said.

Cole Shares What He Believes Is The โ€œScariestโ€ Part About Rip

Though Hauser still admits that Rip can be a terrifying character. He shared what he believes is the โ€œscariestโ€ part about him, saying:

โ€œ[Rip is] like normal people. And I think thatโ€™s whatโ€™s the scariest part [about him] โ€ฆ he is just that kind of animal.โ€

On the other hand, Hauser knows that Rip has a softer side which endears him to fans.

โ€œWhat makes [Rip] special is that he has an unbelievable heart too,โ€ the actor said. โ€œI mean, his loyalty is to not only the Dutton family, but to Beth and his kindness, other than wanting to kill people [at] times, is just, to me, itโ€™s the best of both worlds to be able to play.โ€

Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in "Yellowstone"
Yellowstone / Facebook

Hauser added, โ€œYou look for colors in characters, and Taylor [Sheridan], in the last five seasons, has given Rip those wonderful colors.โ€

Hauser is preparing to play Rip again as production starts soon on the long-delayed second half of Yellowstoneโ€˜s fifth and final season. Stay tuned to see what will become of Rip Wheeler in the last episodes of the series.

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About the Author

Miranda Raye

Hello, I'm Miranda, a lifelong country music fan! There are old home videos of me in my baby swing, swinging along to Dolly Parton and Ricky Van Sheltonโ€™s โ€œRockinโ€™ Years.โ€ Being able to unite my passions for storytelling, researching, and music into my work has been a dream come true.

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