Over the first four seasons of “Yellowstone,” there’s pretty much been a non-stop procession of tough-talking guys and gals looking to stake their claim as the baddest of the Big Sky Country. To date, almost none of the gritty cowboys, greedy land developers, or two-faced politicians among them have been able to stand down the feisty Beth Dutton. It’s not like they haven’t tried either, with a new foe showing their face at the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch almost every single episode hoping to put the fiery Dutton femme in her place.
Still, Beth continues to outthink, outmaneuver, or outtalk any and all comers. As most “Yellowstone” fans can confirm, the dagger-tongued Dutton excels at outtalking her foes. Throughout the series’ run, she’s taken no uncertain pleasure in dropping soul-destroying diatribes on anyone who gets in the way of her goals, up to and including the members of her own family. As much as the “Yellowstone” fandom loves to hear Beth spew all those venomous insults and castigating expressions, the actor who portrays Beth admits it’s not always easy to get through her scene-devouring dialogue. In fact, Kelly Reilly claims a lot of work goes into ensuring that the dialogue coming out of Beth Dutton’s mouth sounds like the words of a local from Montana.
Reilly wanted as few people as possible to know she’s actually British
Kelly Reilly admitted as much during a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. The actor is British by birth (per TV Guide) and has spent much of her life in England. Indeed, to hear the actor speak in her natural accent in the ET interview, one can understand how difficult it could be to slip into Beth Dutton’s stone-cold, American dialect. Per Reilly, the vernacular switch requires quite a bit of work. “I work with a dialect coach, who helps me,” Reilly says. “That’s just a bit of hard grind, sitting at home just going … over it.”
Reilly goes on to say that living in the United States for work these days helps as she hears American accents on the regular. The actor was particularly devoted to selling Beth’s accent during the first season of “Yellowstone,” and she even went so far as to try and conceal her background from much of the show’s cast and crew. Per Reilly, “When I first played Beth, I didn’t want anyone to know that I wasn’t American.” She admits that several people on the production understandably did know, but she tried to keep it from others, stating, “I didn’t talk to anyone, unless I was playing Beth.”
That sort of dedication is a big part of what’s made Reilly one of the better-respected, if oft-overlooked, actors of her generation. It’s also why Beth ranks among the best characters in the modern television landscape.