Taylor Sheridan’s knack for recognizing a diamond in the rough
is no secret among those who walk down the boulevards of Tinseltown.
This was unmistakably the case when the mastermind behind the sprawling Yellowstone
cosmos failed to recognize Dawn Olivieri outside her austere 1883 role as Claire Dutton.
Yet, her red carpet transformation during the 1883 premier was not just a head-turner; it was a game-changer. Olivieri’s allure struck Sheridan like lightning, compelling him to immediately offer her another plum role, this time in Yellowstone. The actress, who had portrayed the stark-faced, widowed Claire Dutton in 1883, later portrayed the gorgeous, sly temptress Sarah Atwood, which was a complete contrast.
Taylor Sheridan’s Surprising Reaction to Dawn Olivieri’s Staggering Transformation
The saying ‘When one door closes, another one opens’ couldn’t be more true for actress Dawn Olivieri, who found herself in a surprising turn of events at the premiere of the Yellowstone prequel 1883. Standing on the red carpet looking like a million bucks, the actress, 43, was unrecognizable to many, including series creator Taylor Sheridan himself.
The actress shared with The Hollywood Reporter:
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.
In a twist of fate, Sheridan, taken aback by Olivieri’s transformation, immediately offered her another role in the Yellowstone series. The shock on his face was likened to a semi-truck hitting him, as he exclaimed, “Oh, s***!” To quote the Missionary actress:
He had no recognition on his face at all. Nic goes, ‘It’s Dawn.’ And it was like a semi-truck hit Taylor, and he went, ‘Oh, s***!’
The beauty of Hollywood is that appearances can be deceiving, and Olivieri’s portrayal of Claire Dutton was a far cry from her role as Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone Season 5.
As Sarah, Olivieri plays a cunning seductress with a plan to take down the Dutton family, proving her versatility as an actor.
Dawn Olivieri on Her Character in Yellowstone Season 5
No matter how much screen time she gets, Dawn Olivieri—best known for her time in House of Lies—has the kind of acting career where she can enter a show and instantly leave a lasting impression. Her resume boasts recurring parts on Heroes, The Vampire Diaries, and SEAL Team, but it was her appearance as Claire Dutton on Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 that allowed the Yellowstone showrunner to truly understand the impact Olivieri can make.
She acknowledged in an interview with Den of Geek that, like a lot of fans, she believes in Sheridan’s process and that things will eventually get to the level of drama and excitement that has driven the show’s popularity:
Taylor knows what he is doing.
Olivieri was clearly excited about the possibilities that could arise for Jamie and Sarah, whether it involved hiring a hitman to murder Beth (Kelly Reilly) or becoming even more sinister. In fact, she has issued Sheridan an informal challenge to infuse Sarah with genuine explosiveness & grandeur.
I built this character on what I know Taylor knows about me, which is in turn based on what I did on 1883. He knows where I can take [the character]. So if you know where I can take it and you know I can go pretty far with it, why would you not go there? It’d be very interesting.
In a nutshell, from playing the pious and drab Claire to the glamorous and manipulative Sarah, Olivieri’s journey shows that in Tinseltown, you never know what the next role may bring.
Yellowstone Season 5’s second part will be available on November 10, 2024.
Stream Yellowstone on Paramount+.
