When Yellowstone was renewed for a third season last year, Paramount Network announced Lost star Josh Holloway was joining the cast to butt heads with Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. In a recent interview with TVInsider, Holloway broke down his character, Roarke Morris, who holds nothing back in his pursuit of a successful business. Roarke will be seen in action during the Yellowstone Season 3 premiere, which airs on Sunday, June 21 at 9 p.m. ET.
“Roarke is no stranger to cruel tactics,” Holloway told TVInsider last month. Roarke is a hedge fund manager and land developer who moves back to Montana to reconnect with his local roots. The character has a history of “dealing with business on both sides of the law,” Holloway said. “He’s definitely a threat.”
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Holloway was already a friend of Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan‘s work before joining the cast. Sheridan first gained fame for playing David Hale on Sons of Anarchy but transitioned from acting to writing and directing. He wrote the screenplays for Sicario (2015) and Hell or High Water (2016), which earned him an Oscar nomination. Sheridan also directed Wind River (2017), Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018) and the upcoming Those Who Wish Me Dead. He created Yellowstone with John Linson.
Sheridan and Holloway worked in a rodeo together and are both avid anglers. This inspired Sheridan to include a fly-fishing scene for Roarke’s first meeting with John’s daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly). “Beth is emasculating to most men. That doesn’t scare Roarke,” Holloway told TVInsider. “There’s a spark, even though they are on opposite sides.”
Holloway is excited about being on Yellowstone since it is also reminiscent of his life growing up in Georgia. “I grew up in Georgia around a bunch of ranchers. I don’t remember there being that many deaths. This is like ranch Mafia,” he joked.
Yellowstone is a modern Western, set on Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, controlled by Costner’s character. The ensemble cast also includes Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille, Gil Birmingham, Ian Bohen, Forrie J. Smith, Denim Richards. Paramount renewed the show for a fourth season in February, months before the Season 3 premiere. The show’s second season ranked as the top-rated scripted summer cable series among the 18-49 and 25-54 demographics.
