Taylor Sheridan’s own cast member shocks him into plying her with a job offer during the premiere of his Yellowstone prequel.
Yellowstone universe is in constant need of actors willing to dive straight into the narrative and diligently play their individual parts in the progression of the larger story. As such, it may not come as a surprise when actors who already had a role in one Sheridan series suddenly pop up in another spin-off series taking place entirely in another timeline.
However, such a case of repetition is not a one-off on Taylor Sheridan’s part. Sheridan-verse, as fans have come to call it, has witnessed a total of 6 actors returning to the Yellowstone universe in one form or another.
Among them also lies the innately talented Dawn Olivieri, whose reassignment into the Yellowstone series makes for quite an interesting story in and of itself.
Yellowstone Star Shares Fascinating Tale About Her Casting
In Hollywood, talent often seems secondary to appearance when securing roles. Dawn Olivieri, who played Claire Dutton in 1883, exemplifies how transformative appearances can be pivotal in landing jobs.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Olivieri shared a memorable casting story. Originally cast in 1883 before transitioning to Yellowstone, she recounted how COVID disrupted her farewell on the 1883 set:
“It’s a funny story. When filming 1883, I didn’t get to say goodbye to anybody because I got COVID the night before my final day of filming and wasn’t able to go to set… For the 1883 premiere in Las Vegas, I got all dolled up. I told hair and makeup that I wanted them to make me real bombshell-y — the complete opposite of Claire.”
At the premiere, many colleagues didn’t recognize her. Olivieri explained:
“In the back room before you do the carpet, I was saying hi to people I had spent a short amount of time with, directors and different people, and they greeted me with zero recognition. I had to say, ‘It’s Dawn. I play Claire.’ They were like, ‘Oh, my God!’ No one recognized me, it’s like I had a costume on or something.”
Despite her significant role as Claire Dutton, Taylor Sheridan only realized Olivieri’s full potential after 1883 had wrapped up. She recounted an encounter at the premiere:
“Right as I was coming off the red carpet, Taylor and his wife Nic were about to come onto the carpet and I walked directly up to him and stood there. And he had no recognition on his face at all. There’s a part of me that just loved that. It was such a transformation that even the person who sat there for every single minute of the performance that I gave didn’t recognize me in that moment.”
Nic introduced her to Taylor, who was stunned. Sheridan immediately offered her a role, leading to her casting as Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone. Olivieri was thrilled:
“He said, ‘You’re coming to work for me now.’ I was real cool about it, but after I went into the corner and screamed like a little girl! Because it’s like your dream offering.”
Few actors have had the chance to work across multiple projects with Taylor Sheridan, the Godfather of Western television. Olivieri’s ability to impress him with just her presence earned her a spot on Yellowstone.
Behind the scenes, drama also unfolded with Kevin Costner and Taylor Sheridan reportedly clashing. Production for Season 5, Part 2 of Yellowstone has begun without Costner’s confirmed involvement as John Dutton. The unresolved tension between Sheridan and Costner has affected the entire cast, leaving fans in suspense about the show’s future.
