SUMMARY

  • Kelly Reilly’s role as Beth Dutton in Yellowstone is iconic, but her accent wasn’t just a stroke of luck.
  • Reilly is a British actress who transformed her voice to sound like a Montana rancher, fooling many viewers.
  • The depth of her Montana accent was influenced by her co-star, Kevin Costner, who played John Dutton.

Have you ever caught yourself watching a character so convincingly crafted that you forget it’s just an act? You know, that moment when you wonder how someone can step so seamlessly into a role, almost as if the character’s been living in their skin all along. That’s the magic of Yellowstone—and it’s not just about the rugged ranches and high-stakes drama.

It’s the art of becoming someone else, down to the very last detail. Take Kelly Reilly, for example. As Beth Dutton, she exudes a Montana-bred confidence, a sharp tongue, and an accent so authentic it’ll make you forget she’s not even American.

Kelly Reilly’s role as Beth Dutton in Yellowstone is iconic, but her accent wasn’t just a stroke of luck.Yellowstone | Credit: Paramount

Wait, what? This British actress is playing an all-American rancher? Now, that’s what we call acting wizardry. And you might think the depth of John Dutton’s voice was purely the result of Kevin Costner’s natural gravitas, but Reilly found it to be a secret weapon for capturing her own character’s essence. 

How Kevin Costner’s influence shaped Kelly Reilly’s iconic role as Beth Dutton

We all know Kevin Costner as the iconic John Dutton, the hard-edged rancher who commands the screen with a deep, gravelly voice. But there’s a little secret that’s been lurking in the shadows all along, and it’s not just about his portrayal of the formidable patriarch.

Sure, Costner brought a mountain of presence to the role, but did you know that his influence extended far beyond his character? In fact, one of his co-stars, Kelly Reilly, who plays his fiery daughter, Beth Dutton, had more than just a little bit of help from Costner in shaping her own character. And no, we’re not just talking about their on-screen father-daughter dynamic; it’s the way Costner’s own voice and mannerisms shaped Reilly’s approach to the role.

Reilly is a British actress who transformed her voice to sound like a Montana rancher, fooling many viewers.Kelly Reilly in Yellowstone | Credit: Paramount+

You see, Reilly, the British actress who’s fooled countless fans with her flawless Montana accent, admitted she took a leaf straight from Costner’s book when perfecting her portrayal of Beth. Reilly didn’t come into the role with a cowboy’s heart or an American twang.

In fact, her real voice is as British as a cup of tea on a rainy afternoon. But her spot-on Montana accent in Yellowstone has been the subject of admiration since day one. She told talk show host Drew Barrymore (via Yahoo):

I listened to Kevin a lot because he really deepened his voice for John Dutton, so I just stole it. I just copied him. 

Reilly has been open about the work it took to get the dialect just right. 

Kelly Reilly’s subtle art of perfecting Beth Dutton’s Montana accent

The depth of her Montana accent was influenced by her co-star, Kevin Costner, who played John Dutton.Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton in Yellowstone | Credit: Paramount+

The actress worked alongside her dialect coach, Jessica Drake, to develop a voice that balanced sophistication with the ruggedness of Montana. It was all about finding that sweet spot—a Montana accent that didn’t sound too “Howdy, ma’am” but still kept the essence of being from a wealthy ranching family. Kelly Reilly said (via Yahoo):

We were really going for a Montana accent, but she’s [Beth] educated. She’s from a very, very wealthy ranching family. I wasn’t going to go, like, ‘Howdy, ma’am.’ It wasn’t that for me. But I certainly wanted to get that Montana dialect correct. So, I worked with Jessica. 

The result? An accent so convincing that even her Yellowstone co-stars were taken aback. Forrie J. Smith, who plays Lloyd, revealed that Reilly used her American accent off-screen in the first week of filming to avoid any doubts from her colleagues. 

I didn’t know, either, the first couple of weeks. She is just a sweetheart in real life.

And there you have it—the magic of acting.

It’s worth noting that Reilly’s expertise in adopting American accents wasn’t limited to just Yellowstone. Before her role as Beth Dutton, she had already proven her chops with American voices in productions like Flight and True Detective. But in Yellowstone, it was more than just an accent—it was about channeling a character’s soul through the way she spoke. And thanks to Kevin Costner’s subtle mentorship, Reilly was able to take it to the next level.

Yellowstone is currently streaming on Paramount+.

Kelly ReillyKevin CostnerYellowstone

Written by Siddhika Prajapati

Articles Published: 2440

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