Brecken Merrill talks about growing up on set. Image Source: Outsider
Brecken Merrill talks about growing up on set.
Yellowstone star Brecken Merrill recently spoke to Entertainment Tonight and shared his experience of growing up on sets.
Brecken Merrill recalled that while filming a dramatic river scene in season one’s "The Long Black Train" episode, he was miserably cold between takes as cameras were being propped up as the scene required Brecken Merrill’s character Tate Dutton and grandfather John Dutton, played by Kevin Costner, to bond over learning how to start a campfire, which required Tate to venture out into the deeper parts of the countryside to find heftier branches to get the fire going. The temperature was biting that day, but the scene still called for Tate to fall into the freezing river after stretching his body for a branch.
The young actor, who was 9 years old at the time of filming, said that his co-star Kevin Costner asked him if this was something that he wants to do, and Brecken Merrill said that he thought about it for the next month and added that Kevin Costner guided him in that area of what he wants to do, which is being an actor. Brecken noted that this is his career, his passion, and it is super cold—zero degrees—but he loves it because he wants to be here and just wants to thank Kevin for mentioning that he feels blessed to be working with such an amazing cast.
The young actor was 8 years old when he was finalized for the role of Tate Dutton, and his parents believed that his landing the role was monumental for him and wanted to film his reaction. His parents filmed his reaction to being booked for the project by giving him a stone that was painted yellow, and he said that he heard her say it but his mind didn’t register it until he took a minute to process it. Brecken Merrill said that he is thankful to his parents for capturing such a monumental moment in his life to look back on.
Brecken Merrill said that he was 8 years old back then, so it was really hard for him to process what had just happened, but it was one of his proudest moments ever. As the show went on to achieve the success it did, the young actor understood that he had to up his acting chops, which meant that acting was no longer a hobby for him; it was his job. He said that initially, he was kind of just doing it for the fun like he wanted to be on TV, and he did not have a wider sense of what acting was, but now, looking back on the past season and him growing up, he has taken acting seriously, and he said that the creator, Taylor Sheridan, is going to recognize that too and is going to write some grown-up scenes for him.
The young actor recalls a season five scene where his on-screen mother Monica, played by actress Kelsey Asbille, who is very pregnant and is behind the wheel along with Tate by her side when they crash into a buffalo, and she suffers an unimaginable loss as the baby passes away. Tate Dutton shares the news with his grandfather and tells him that he had a brother for an hour, and they named him John after him.
Talking about the particular scene, Brecken Merrill said that he needed to draw inspiration from the person closest to him, his mother. He explained that he switched the kid out what's in the show to his real-life friends and family, like he just closed his eyes, thought about it, got in contact with his emotions, and just tapped in and locked in, adding that in the car crash scene, he knows this is kind of messed up, but he did use his real mom as the face of Kelsey, and he just tapped into his emotions, and it came naturally.
Brecken says that growing up in Yellowstone is the opportunity of a lifetime, but he admits that no longer being the only kid actor on the show is also pretty cool, thanks to Finn Little's character, Carter, joining the show. He explained that all of the seasons it's just been adults, no kids, but this recent season he and Finn have some scenes together. The actor said that they have developed a nice relationship with each other and are good friends who share the same taste in music. Kyle, played by Red Silverstein, plays young Rip; he's also one of his best friends.
Finally, the actor stated that when the season airs, he is usually grown by the time he filmed it, so he appears much older. Brecken says that he doesn't get recognized a lot, but it's cool as he doesn't want to get recognized personally. The midseason 5 finale of Yellowstone airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.
