I had been looking forward to Riley Green’s entrance on Marshals for a while now, and it didn’t disappoint. In fact, his episode of the Yellowstone spinoff was the best one yet. Now, considering the fact that Green is a very popular country singer and a friend of the show’s lead, Luke Grimes, I had assumed he was offered the part. However, it turns out he really didn’t get any perks when it came to landing this role on the hit CBS series.
As we got to see Green’s introduction as Garrett, Kayce’s friend and former SEAL Team member, on the 2026 TV schedule, he spoke about the process of getting cast for Marshals. It turns out, it wasn’t exactly an offer; in fact, he had to audition for it, as he told Decider:
It was a whole lot easier for me to go read with Luke on set, and he helped me so much doing that. But I saw an interview where he was kind of joking about 'Man, we made him read for it.' And I thought I was, I mean, at that point, that didn't seem strange to me.
Before Green said that, the interviewer did note that they were surprised he had to audition, considering it felt like the Marshals role was written for him. I had a similar thought, especially since it's not like it's uncommon for parts like this to be offered. To use another CBS show as an example, Jelly Roll was offered his part on Fire Country, and Kane Brown’s role on the fire show was written specifically for him.
However, I also get why Green had to read for the part. Based on the episode he’s appeared in, it feels like Garrett could play a bigger role in the show. So, if that’s the case, obviously, they’d want to get the perfect person for it. The country singer had a similar mentality about it all as he recalled why he was actually “glad” they had him audition for the character:
I thought, 'I'm the new guy here,' you know? Certainly, because I've had a music career doesn't mean that I'm any good at acting. So, I was glad that I got to go read, because it gave me a little confidence that they said 'OK, you're good enough to do it,' because I had no clue if I was going to be any good.
If I were in his shoes, I’d have a similar thought. While it’s flattering to be offered a part or specifically written into something, I’d assume it also feels great when you can have your talent affirmed before your first day on set.
Green also made it clear that he really wanted to “earn” the role. So, ultimately, he was more than happy to audition for it:
I'm also glad that I read, because I wouldn't want to be given a part because of something I've done in music. I want to somewhat earn it if I can. I think I skipped a lot of steps by getting a part like this as my first gig, but I'm very thankful that I was given that opportunity.
I’m also thankful he was given this opportunity, because I think his character is a very cool addition to Marshals. While I love the Yellowstone alum who came into the CBS show to reprise their roles, and I’m here for all the new characters Kayce has interacted with, I love that Garrett is someone from his past.
Something I’ve always wanted to see more of is Kayce’s time in the military, and while we got that with Cal, it’s been emphasized with Garrett’s entrance.
Now, to see how this storyline continues, and to see more of Riley Green acting, you can catch new episodes of Marshals every Sunday at 8 p.m. on CBS, or you can stream them the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.
