Kelly Reilly

Kelly Reilly of ‘Yellowstone’ investigates Beth Dutton and the Burden She transports: “It’s Excruciating”.

TheactresstellsTheHollywoodReporterthatsheis“energized byherirreverence,danger,recklessness,butalsoherpain”inacandidinterviewabouthercharacteronthehitParamountNetworkseries.

ThelatestYellowstoneepisodecontainsasceneinwhichviewersarelikelyholdingtheirbreathwhilewatchingBethDutton.

It’snotthefirsttimethishashappenedonTaylorSheridan’shitneo-Westernsaga,buttheoperaticfeudbetweenDuttonsiblingsBeth(KellyReilly)andJamie(WesBentley)nearlyreachedatragicclimaxin“HorsesinHeaven.”
JamiecamethisclosetointentionallyrunningoverBethwithhiscarafterarelationship-alteringargumentinthefourthepisodeofthefifthseason,whichfollowsKevinCostner’sMontanacattlerancherJohnDuttonashebecomesMontanagovernor.

“IhavetheluxuryofsayingTaylorSheridan’swords,whichareweaponssometimesprayers,sometimesscreams,”Reillysaysofherone-of-a-kindcharacteronthehitParamountNetworkshow.
“It’sdifficulttodescribeorsumupBeth.
Icouldgoonandonabouther.
She’seasilythemostintriguingcharacterI’veeverplayed.
Shecertainlytakesupalotofspaceinmymind.”

BethDuttonhascarvedanameforherselfintelevisionhistory.
GiventhetraumashebearsandthevengeancesheexactsforthebenefitofherfatherandtheYellowstoneranch,theDuttonfamily’sonlydaughterhasbeendescribedasruthlessyetunbreakable.
Reillyclaimsshewasdrawntothecharacterbecauseshehadneverreadanyonelikeherbefore.
“Complicated,um.”
“I’dprobablystartthere,”shesaysofherself.

“Ittookalongtimeformetoaccessherandfullyunderstandher,”shesays.
“Manyhoursbeforewestartedfilminginseasonone,IwouldjustbeonthephonewithTaylor,listeningtohim.”
Imusthavethreenotebooksfullofnotesabouthisperceptionofherandherhistory.”

Sheridan,whoisworkingonYellowstonespinoffsandprequels,iswell-versedintheDuttonfamilyandthefictionalworldhecreated,andReillysaysshegainedavisceralunderstandingofBethfromtheirconversationsandreadingthefirstfewepisodes.

“I’dneverreadacharacterlikeherbefore,andIwasenergized byherirreverence,danger,andrecklessness,aswellasherpain.”
“Hedrawsthatreallywell,”shesays.
“AndIknewthatinorderforhertoinhabitallofthat,forhertoresonateorcommandanykindofemotionalresponse,thosenoteshadtobeequalinher.”
Ithinkshe’satornado.
She’stheweather.
Andsomethingaboutherissounapologeticthatitmustbeafantasy,right?
Wecouldn’tgetawaywithspeakinglikeshedoesordoingsomeofthethingsshedoes.
Soit’saheightenedrealityof,“Wouldn’titbegreatifIcouldjustsaywhatIthinksometimes?”

Jamie’snearlyhit-and-runattackonBethisetchedintheDuttonsiblings’history.
ButthehatredresurfaceswhenBeth,whohasjustbeenarrestedforimpulsivelyandviolentlyassaultingawomanatabarforhittingonherhusbandRip(ColeHauser),isdrivenhomefromjailbyherAttorneyGeneralbrotherandnoticesatoddler’scarseatinJamie’scar.
WhileviewersareawarethatJamieisthefatherofayoungboy,hehaskeptthisinformationfromhisfamily.
AndthebetrayalenragesBeth,whowondershowfatecouldhavegivenhimasonafterwhathedidtoherwhentheywereteenagers.

“YouhadmywombremovedandGodgaveyouaboy?”
sheasks,hervoiceshakingwithrageandshock,recallinghow,asascaredandpregnantteen,sheturnedtoherbrotherforassistance,andhe,inturn,tookhertoahysterectomyclinicinsteadofanabortionclinic,andwithoutherconsent.
Bethhitsherbrotherinthecarandnearlyknocksthemofftheroad.
WhenJamietellsBeththattakinghertothatclinicishisgreatestregret,shepromisestodeprivehimoffatherhood:“Youcankiss[yourson]goodbye becausehe’sasgoodasgonethenexttimeyouseehim.”

That’swhenJamiegetsbackintothecarandletsoutascreamhe’sbeensuppressingsincehissisterbeganblackmailinghimoverhisseasonfourfinalechoice,inwhichhemurderedhisbiologicalfathertosavehimself.
HeaccelerateshiscartowardsBeth,gettingcloseenoughthatifshehadn’tsteppedasideatthelastsecond,hewouldhavehither.

“Bethdidn’thaveachoice,”ReillysaysofthetraumathathasdrivenBeth’shatredforherbrothersincetheshow’sinception.
“Thisisacharacterwhowasateenwhenshebecamepregnant,andshewasunabletoseekhelpfromherfather,andhermotherisnolongeralive.”
Shewasafraidofembarrassingordisappointingherfather,soshewenttoJamie,whomadeaterriblemistakebecausehedidn’twantwordofthehigh-rankingJohnDutton’s[daughterhavinganabortion]gettingout,sohetookhertoaplacewherenobodywouldknowaboutit,andshetrustedhimandmadeaterrible,awful,tragicmistake.”

Inseasonthree,theeventwasrevealedinflashbacks,finallyexplainingthelong-simmeringtensionbetweenthetwosiblings.
And,despitethefactthateveryonecanseetheirhatred,especiallyBeth’sforJamie,BethhasnevertoldanyonewhatJamiedid.
“Sheavoidsdiscussingwhathappenedforavarietyofreasons.”
“OneofthemwouldbesheknowsRipwouldkillhim,”Reillysays,delvingintoBeth’smind.
“Butit’snotjustthat.”
Somethingaboutthissecretisconnectedto[theirmother’sdeath].”

TheDuttonfamilymatriarch(playedbyGretchenMol)diedinahorseridingaccidentwhileoutwithayoungBethandherotherlivingbrother,Kayce,ashasalsobeenexploredinflashbacks(LukeGrimes).
Beth’smotherwrongfullyblamedBethforthehorsebuckingandthenfallingonhermother,andBethhasalwaysblamedherselfforhermother’sdeath.

“IactuallythinkJamieblamesBethfortheirmother’sdeathandBethblamesherself,”Reillyexplains.
“But,moreimportantly,I’dsay[abouttheirrelationship],BethbelievesJamieisthegreatestpotentialthreattoherfather.”
He’salreadydemonstrateditseveraltimes.
Andifthere’sanythingworthkillingorremovingJamiefor,it’sifhethreatensorre-threatensherfatherandtheranch.”

Whenitcomesdowntoit,doesReillybelieveBethhaswhatittakestokillherbrother,asshehasthreatened?
“That’sagoodquestion;I’llthinkaboutit,”shesays.
“WhenI’minthedepthsofherhatred,rage,andpain,yes.”
Thatstrongandpainfulforher.
ButI’mnotsure.
Shehadthechancetodoit,butshedidn’t.”

ThecastofYellowstonehaspraisedSheridanforaddressingreal-worldissuesintheDuttonfamilydrama,andReillyemphasizes howBeth’sstorywhichisalsonowairinginapost-Roev.WadeAmericahighlightsaharshrealityofwhatwashappeningtoNativewomeninthe1970sand1980s.
ShehopesthatbyexploringthecomplicatedtraumaBethisdealingwith,shewillfindsolaceinknowingthatherchoiceofbeingabletocarryachildwastakenawayfromher.

“ThetragedyinthisstoryformeisthathysterectomieswereperformedonyoungNativegirlsandwomenwhoweregoingintohavetheirtonsilsorappendixremoved.”
“Theywereforcedintosterilization withouttheirconsent,”sheclaims.
“ThishappenstoBeth,thisobviouslyprivilegedwhitegirl,butithappenstoNativewomenallthetime.”
Tayloremphasizes manyNativeAmericanandIndigenousstoriesandthemesintheshow,andheblamesitonBeth.
And,fromapsychologicalstandpoint,Bethbelievesitisunforgivable.
Andthefactthatitwasherbrotherwhomadethisdecisionwhetheritwasoutofignorance,youth,stupidity,orsomethingdarker,wedon’tknowBethconsidersitahugebetrayal,andshe’snotonewhohascometotermswithit.”

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