Brecken Merrill, the star of Yellowstone, remembers the wise advice Kevin Costner provided him while they were filming. The John Dutton character, played by Costner, along with his children and one living grandchild, Tate (Merrill), Kayce (Luke Grimes), and Monica’s (Kelsey Asbille) son, is the focus of the Paramount series. Tate has experienced many terrifying things throughout Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western, including being kidnapped and having to shoot a guy because of his family’s numerous enemies.
Being one of Yellowstone’s youngest cast members, Merrill has the rare opportunity to learn from the show’s many brilliant performers and crew members, even though it isn’t always a kind place to work.
Speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Merrill describes a challenging experience while filming Yellowstone season 1 episode 4, “The Long Black Train,” due to the bitter cold. The scene, which had Tate falling into the icy river after a bonding moment with his grandfather went awry, required him to endure this difficult experience. The actor, who was nine then, remembers getting a helpful prod from Costner as he struggled valiantly to get warm, which made him realize he appreciated the opportunity to star in the series despite the occasional trials.
Tate Contributes Significantly to Yellowstone
Merrill’s touching description of his admiration for Costner and his co-stars is evocative of his lovely on-screen persona, which is frequently fresh on the program. While Yellowstone isn’t necessarily as depressing or dark as some of its spinoff content, like 1883 or even 1923, many intense events still take place throughout the series, making the show occasionally stressful to watch and continually putting viewers’ loyalty to the test. Even though viewers find Costner’s portrayal of John relatable and one of Yellowstone’s most beloved characters, even John engages in morally dubious behavior and is riddled with problems.
Fans of the show hold dear some of their favorite moments when John interacts with his grandson, and it is simple to see why. Because Tate is older, viewers can see a different side of John as he interacts with his grandchild. As a result, the Dutton family’s time in Yellowstone is filled with touching and humorous moments. Tate is the first of the following generation, so he may grow up to have the same defects as his grandfather, but in the show’s early seasons, his innocence brings humor and optimism for the future of the Dutton family.
The horrible experiences the endearing young man underwent stole him of his boyhood, which allowed some heartbreaking character development for Tate and established stakes beyond life, death, and loss of property for viewers. Merrill will continue pursuing his passion for acting by playing Tate in the second half of Yellowstone season 5, which will air later in 2023. When the new season begins, the character will presumably still be in shock following a traumatic personal loss.