Cole Hauser Was Shocked By The Public’s Response To Rip Wheeler
Cole Hauser, who played Rip Wheeler in the popular TV show Yellowstone, has made headlines for more than his acting.
In the television series Yellowstone, Rip is a violent protector of the Dutton family, displaying unwavering loyalty to them. He would do anything for the Duttons, especially for his love interest, Beth Dutton.
Their relationship is tumultuous and filled with contention, but despite this, they have become fan favorites.
Hauser told T&C that he was surprised that fans took to Rip the way they did.
“I think it surprised Taylor too. It’s definitely not something that was ever on the table, that we ever discussed.”
They not only did not suspect the fandom to love the violent man, but they thought everyone would think he was crazy.
“In fact, I think it was quite the opposite. [Taylor] was like, ‘Oh man, people are gonna think you’re fucking nuts. I wrote this scene, the way you kill this guy or burn this guy,’ you know what I mean? And for whatever reason it’s kind of worked the opposite.”
The extremely loyal but rather savage ranch hand became such a fan favorite that many considered him a “sex symbol.” So much so that he was named one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive in 2020.
His wife posted a photo of the magazine on her joint Instagram with her twin sister, see below.
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Rip Wheeler Has Inspired Some Crazy Fan Moments
The Yellowstone fandom has unanimously agreed they love the bada** Rip, but some might have taken it too far. During a recent interview, a reporter asked,
“Rip is a major sex symbol. Rip and Beth (Kelly Reilly) are an iconic TV couple. How wild are your fan encounters?”
Hauser did not disappoint. He shared a wild story of meeting a woman who had recently gotten a Rip tattoo.
“I was at South Point, which is a notorious cowboy hotel in Las Vegas. A woman came up to me and she had a tattoo of my character and I thought it was fake. She said, ‘No, it’s real. I just got it done.’ That’s crazy. (Laughs)”
He then credits this level of fan obsession to himself, the Yellowstone cast, and the writer-director Taylor Sheridan.
“That’s a crazy moment that someone would take the character and put it on her body, or that people would name their children after Rip. It’s just another acknowledgement of what Taylor started and our collaboration together, and the work that I’ve done with Kevin Costner and Kelly and Luke [Grimes], Wes [Bentley, the Yellowstone main cast]. It’s been a tremendous ride, and I look forward to hopefully moreyears with Kelly, seeing what we can create for the audience that is hopefully as good or better.”
Watch a recent interview with Cole below.
