Who Plays Beth Dutton on 'Yellowstone'? Kelly Reilly Brings the Series' Toughest Character to Life

Kelly Reilly is currently in her third season playing Beth Dutton on the Paramount Network's hit western series, Yellowstone. But did you know that Reilly, who looks right at home riding a horse in the wild west, is actually British?Show more

Growing up in London, Reilly actually got her first professional acting role after writing to ask for work. The Helen Mirren British television drama, Prime Suspect, actually called her in and she appeared in a 1995 episode. Over the next few years, Reilly appeared in various stage productions before she started making her way back in front of the camera.

Reilly played the role of Wendy in the French comedy film opposite Audrey Tautou and Romain Duris, L'Auberge espagnole, a role which earned her Best Newcomer Award at the Cannes Film Festival. She also appeared in its two follow-up films -- Les Poupées russes (The Russian Dolls) and Casse-tête chinois, and had a supporting role in Mrs. Henderson Presents. But American fans probably first remember Reilly for her role as Caroline Bingley in Pride & Prejudice starring Keira Knightley, Me and Orson Welles with Zac Efron, or playing Mary Watson in Sherlock Holmes and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows. Those supporting roles lead to leading roles in the Robert Zemeckis film Flight with Denzel Washington as well as Heaven is for Real with Greg Kinnear.

But the English actress showed that she had the acting chops for American TV. She briefly led her own ABC drama, Black Box, before playing Vince Vaughn's wife in the second season of HBO's True Detective. Reilly also appeared on Broadway opposite Clive Owen in Old Times, before landing the role of Celtic Queen Kerra in the Amazon TV show Britannia, which lasted for two seasons.

But after Britannia, Reilly was cast in the leading female role on the Kevin Costner lead Yellowstone. She plays the daughter of John Dutton (Costner) alongside Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, and Gil Birmingham. The role of Beth really lets Reilly shine because Beth is one tough cookie. She's also emotionally unstable and has a substance abuse problem, so it required an actress with a lot of range.

"She’s probably the most self-loathing character that I’ve ever played, Reilly told Parade.

"But she outsources her pain like no other I’ve ever read. If I could akin her to anything, she’s like some Shakespearean or Greek Tragedy character, like some goddess of war or something. It’s like she’s turned all that pain into darkness, so that’s who she is."

Beth is an incredibly complex career and at times, makes some unlikeable choices. But that's part of what Reilly loves about playing her.

"I love her mind," Reilly told CinemaBlend.

"I love her intelligence. I love her fierceness. She’s a warrior...Like I trust, taking Beth so far into unlikability because I know I’m going to be held in [Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan]'s respect for her as a character. As he does with all of them. There’s a messiness and forwardness to each of them, and also just a deep underlying vulnerability to her that I don’t necessarily play too often."

Yellowstone season 3 is currently on the air but its already been renewed for a fourth season. We can't wait to see what's in store of Beth and the rest of the Dutton clan.