Whether you’re a huge fan or you’ve just seen a single episode of Yellowstone,

you’re probably already in the thralls of the hit series’ most feisty and ferocious character: Beth Dutton. She’s the

eldest daughter of John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner), the patriarch of the Dutton family and owner of the Yellowstone Ranch,

one of the largest cattle ranches in Montana. Love her or hate her, Beth is highly intelligent, fiercely ambitious and known for her sharp wit and cutting remarks. Often seen as the black sheep of the family, she clashes with her father and

siblings due to her rebellious nature and non-conformist attitude, while trying to maintain a romantic relationship with the show’s hunky ranch hand Rip (Cole Hauser) as she battles her inner demons.

Through it all, Beth Dutton is also a highly capable businesswoman who handles the financial and political aspects of the ranch. Fans marvel at her master strategies, using her intelligence, cunning and sharp tongue to protect the family’s interests and preserve the legacy of the Yellowstone Ranch. She’s not afraid to get her hands dirty—cue drama!—and she engages in ruthless tactics to achieve her goals, including manipulation, blackmail and intimidation.

But there would be no sass-talking, chain-smoking Beth Dutton without 45-year-old actress Kelly Reilly, who has brilliantly brought the character to life. Here we take a fascinating look into Reilly’s past, how she prepared to play Beth Dutton and how she’s different—and similar—to her Yellowstone counterpart. Best of all, Reilly shares what she really thinks of TV’s favorite femme fatale.

Who plays Beth Dutton?

You may recognize Kelly Reilly from roles as diverse as Caroline Bingley in Pride & Prejudice, the thriller Eden Lake, or even alongside Denzel Washington in Flight. But it’s Reilly’s award winning portrayal of Beth Dutton that has brought this English actress worldwide acclaim.

One thing Reilly has in common with Montana rancher Beth Dutton is her first love: It wasn’t being in front of a camera, it was working with horses. Most days after school, you’d find a young Reilly riding and caring for them at a stable nearby in Chessington, England, where her father was a police officer.

 

Is Reilly anything like Beth Dutton in real-life?

Unlike Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler’s tumultuous romance, one role that is not ambiguous for Reilly is spending time with her husband, financier Kyle Baugher. They married in England in 2012 after meeting that same year. At that time, Baugher lived in New York, and Kelly split her time between New York and her native England. Baugher has regularly accompanied Kelly to Montana when filming Yellowstone.

She has spent a lot of time flying between her house in England and New York, and Darby, Montana. While she has spent some time on the London stage when Yellowstone is on hiatus, she admits, “I love Montana, Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. It’s somewhere that I’ve spent time when I’ve traveled since I was a teenager actually.”

Reilly cherishes her marital relationship and keeping her family as private a life as possible, despite having one of the most recognizable faces on television. Staying private can be difficult, which is why her homes are in the countryside in England and at the end of the island “by the sea in New York.”

But all-in-all, you won’t find Reilly complaining of the beloved character that bring fans clamoring. “It’s a powerful thing to be part of Yellowstone. People have adopted it as their show. I’m really proud of it.”