On Directing One of the Greatest TV Love Stories of All Time

Christina intently watched the way Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser brought Beth and Rip to life over the course of eight years. From Season 1 to Season 5, she witnessed the actors put their all into Beth and Rip’s love story, shaping it with unwavering authenticity every step of the way. Because of this, Christina felt like directing them was less directional and more collaborative.

“Kelly and Cole don’t need any help being captivating—they bring that themselves; I’m lucky to be along for the ride; I’m lucky to be there as an ally and a fierce supporter of them as human beings, and as a protector of Rip and Beth,” she tells Country Living. “I feel like we have such a shorthand between the three of us—we’ve all lived it together, so I am as familiar with every stage of Beth and Rip, and their relationship, in many ways, as they are, because I have been watching them tell that story as actors for six seasons of television [first, in Yellowstone, and now on Dutton Ranch].”

On Directing Throughout the Yellowstone Universe and Beyond

Kelly and Cole aren’t exactly an exception when it comes to Christina’s directing—she thinks that every Taylor Sheridan show makes for an approachable directional experience, thanks to just how well he writes the scripts. “I think the narrative of any story that Taylor tells is laid out for you as a roadmap in the script,” she explains. “Once you have that script, the job of a director is to steer that ship, right? And you are lucky enough to work with the most unbelievable actors on Taylor’s shows, and so much of the joy of doing this work for me comes in taking what’s on the page, bringing it into a room, and seeing how these actors that you are lucky enough to show up to work with every day make it their own, and how they find their truth in what’s on the page.”

Again, it’s all about authenticity. “When you work with someone like Michelle [Pfeiffer] or with Kurt [Russell] or with Kelly or with Cole, they’re always striving for a really profound level of truth for themselves,” Christina shares. “With both Michelle and Kurt, that first season of The Madison, they were discovering and building this relationship; and with Kelly and Cole, they are growing into a different version of who they’ve been for all the years that they’re maturing.”

While every riveting series features some level of character development, the longer a show runs, the more imperative it becomes. For that reason, Christina says that directing later Yellowstone episodes and now Dutton Ranch is rooted in growth. “There is a process of evolution—when you get to play a character for that many years, we as human beings evolve, characters evolve; you have to,” she says. “Otherwise, you stand still, and that’s not interesting in storytelling. So it’s been such a beautiful dance this year with characters building who they are on screen, and in very real time, to be there for the process of discovery—and also working with actors who have embodied these roles for such a long time, and seeing where they are pushing their limits, finding new parts of themselves. They’re different tasks, but it comes from the same pursuit of an impeccable truth that you try to bring in, to breathe life into these characters.”

On the Allure of Beth and Rip—and Their Love Story

When Yellowstone Season 1 premiered, Taylor Sheridan, Cole Hauser, and Kelly Reilly were surprised by the fan response. How could so many people feel so enamored with Rip (a hit man of sorts) and Beth (a fiery woman bound to fly off the handle)? The way Christina sees it, it comes down to the authenticity of their characters and the gentle, nurturing love between them.

“I think we watch film and television in many ways, to escape, right? But we also love to see ourselves and versions of ourselves in the things that we watch,” she explains. “I think there’s something really aspirational about the love story between Beth and Rip; you have these two incredibly strong, flawed, passionate, brave, wild characters, who love each other more than anything else in the world. And I think that it’s something that we all aspire to, right? A great love story. And I think that because they are not perfect people—they have demons, they come from dark times—and have each, in their own way, found a way to not only survive, but also protect each other while doing it, is something that will always draw an audience in.”

On the Difference Between Yellowstone and Dutton Ranch

Dutton Ranch is a continuation of Beth and Rip’s love story, yes, but make no mistake: Their new life in Texas is by no means a copy-and-paste experience from their time in Montana. Instead, this new chapter of the story rewrites their values and priorities, while remaining true to their cores.

“I think what was exciting about this year is that so much of Yellowstone was about holding on to the legacy, holding on to the land, and Dutton Ranch is really about building a new legacy and protecting family as the ultimate objective in a way that, for years on Yellowstone, they were protecting the ranch above all else,” Christina shares. “So it’s been really beautiful watching how these characters that we’ve seen struggle and fight for each other, and for the land for years, continue to love each other that fiercely, and fight against all comers that threaten anything that surrounds their family with the same ferociousness, and the same tenderness and love.”

On Nature as a Cast Member

Beyond the characters themselves, Christina adores one other vital aspect of all Taylor Sheridan shows: the natural settings.

“I think that there’s a lyricism to The Madison that has its roots in a style of cinematography that really was developed in the years of doing Yellowstone and into 1883—I think the landscape is a character in so many of Taylor’s stories, and the character also tells you how it needs to be shot,” she says. “I joke that the landscape is always number one on the call sheet on Taylor shows, because it is such an integral part of the story. On Yellowstone, it’s in the title. It’s Yellowstone, the Madison [River]—these are not just backdrops for a story about something else; the stories are as intertwined with the places where they are taking place as the characters who are living out their stories on the screen there.”

The Invisible String of the Taylor Sheridan Universe

One hit series after the next, Taylor Sheridan has established himself as an instantly recognizable storyteller, known for his dramatic plots, stunning settings, and dynamic characters who are hard not to love. If Christina were to name a single parallel across all his series, though, she says it’s simple: It’s the tremendous vulnerability juxtaposed with immense bravery that defines a Taylor Sheridan show. “[There’s a] vulnerability and tenderness from characters who are also so incredibly brave, and so incredibly strong, and dealing with challenges as human beings and as members of their family, that are really pushing the outer limits of what is difficult about a human experience, whether that is loss of life, loss of home, loss of family,” she explains. “And the vulnerability that they are able to show on the underside of their tremendous bravery, that they project, and that they need to have to carry forward, whether it’s Stacy Clyburn and losing her husband; whether it’s Rip and Beth moving on after the legacy of the ranch they fought so hard for, and starting a new chapter in their own lives.”

As for our perspective? No show is as explosively entertaining and touchingly intimate as Taylor’s creations, from Dutton Ranch to Landman. How lucky are we to have so many shows worth tuning into? New episodes of Dutton Ranch premiere on Fridays on Paramount+, with more Taylor Sheridan projects underway for later this year and early next.