Any time of year when Rip Wheeler is laying out skull-bustin’ discipline on our TVs is a good time of year, and the wait is on for Season 2, with a new showrunner stepping in to guide the story after that deadly and kidnap-py season finale. The between-seasons hiatus is where star Cole Hauser gets to look and feel more like himself, without the need to dye his hair to match Rip’s, and without the need to put on any extra weight.
As many Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch fans are possibly aware, Hauser has made it a character priority to add around 25 lbs. to his frame to bring Rip to life (even if Texas heat makes it hard to keep the weight on. But if you think that means he’s downing protein powders and doing cardio between takes, that’s not exactly the kind of weight he’s packing on. Speaking with AwardsDaily about transforming himself into becoming Rip for Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone-verse, Hauser pointed out that being bigger doesn’t necessarily mean being more fit. In his words:
