Back of the House - Ian Bohen, Denim Richards and Jake Ream

Summary

The Yellowstone Official Podcast: Episode Summary
Title: Back of the House - Ian Bohen, Denim Richards, and Jake Ream
Release Date: January 20, 2022
Hosts: Jefferson White ("Jimmy") and Jen Landon ("Teeter")
Guests: Ian Bohen, Denim Richards, Jake Ream

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I. Introduction

Jefferson White opens the episode with heartfelt gratitude towards the listeners, expressing enthusiasm for the podcast and appreciation for the supportive feedback received. He mentions recording at Wynn Las Vegas and introduces the special guests for the episode: Ian Bowen, Denim Richards, and Jake Ream. ([00:07] - [01:33])

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II. Conversations with Ian Bowen and Denim Richards

A. Experience of Working on Yellowstone for Four Years

Denim Richards reflects on the longevity of the show, comparing it to the transformative experience of college. He emphasizes the familial bonds formed on set, highlighting how working together over four years has created a second family.
“Doing, you know, being lucky enough to be on something that lasts this long is akin to, I like to say, going to, you know, college.” ([02:05] - [03:13])

B. Building a Family-like Unit among Bunkhouse Boys

Denim elaborates on the camaraderie among the Bunkhouse Boys, describing it as a separate, relaxing space from the show's usual drama and violence. The set feels like a living room where genuine friendships flourish.
“It's our space, it's our clubhouse. It's our, you know, our second home.” ([03:13] - [04:15])

C. Authenticity of Relationships on Set

The conversations delve into how the genuine relationships among the actors enhance the authenticity of their on-screen interactions. Denim notes that shared experiences off-camera, like eating together and engaging in activities, naturally translate into more realistic and vivid scenes.
“We're all kind of in the same world going through the same punches again, the same hit, so it becomes a little bit more easier.” ([04:31] - [09:55])

D. Ryan's Dual Loyalty: Law Enforcement and Dutton Ranch

Jake Ream discusses the character Ryan's complex loyalties, torn between his duties as a law enforcement officer and his commitment to John Dutton and the ranch. This duality adds depth to Ryan's character, creating intriguing narrative possibilities.
“Ryan's first and foremost loyal to the ranch and to what it needs.” ([09:55] - [13:00])

E. Working with Kevin Costner

Jake shares his previous experience working with Kevin Costner on the film "Wyatt Earp," highlighting the mentorship and inspiration drawn from Costner, which now comes full circle on Yellowstone.
“We laugh about, you know, how young we were, and here we are doing the same stuff.” ([11:33] - [13:25])

F. Shooting Scenes with Luke Grimes

Jake describes his collaborative relationship with Luke Grimes, praising Luke's thoughtful nature and their dynamic scenes together. He emphasizes the importance of listening and adapting to each other's cues to create compelling on-screen chemistry.
“He's a philosophical dude, so I love hanging out with him. It's a treat to do scenes outside the bunkhouse.” ([13:25] - [16:46])

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III. In-Depth Conversation with Denim Richards

A. Immersiveness of Working on the Ranch

Denim elaborates on the immersive experience of portraying a rancher, drawing parallels between acting and real ranch work. He shares how the physical demands of the role, such as riding horses and digging fences, enhance his appreciation for the ranching lifestyle.
“You really can't fake the horsemanship. It's like you really have to live it.” ([17:19] - [22:24])

B. Shooting Action Scenes and Authenticity

Denim discusses the challenges of filming intense action scenes, like fighting bikers, and the importance of being adaptable on set. He highlights how camaraderie among the cast makes grueling days more manageable.
“On a day like that, where the teeter and Ryan and Cole have all gone out and gone bowling... it kind of becomes a more enjoyable thing.” ([22:44] - [25:19])

C. Building Character Backstories and Authentic Relationships

Ian Bowen and Denim Richards discuss the depth of their characters' histories, both on and off the show. They emphasize the importance of creating rich backstories that extend beyond the camera's view, enhancing the narrative's authenticity.
“We really have to get on the horses. We really have to take the sledgehammer, pound it into the ground.” ([25:19] - [28:01])

D. Responsibilities of Representation and Rich History

Denim shares his perspective on representing African American characters in a historically rich context. He speaks about the legacy of African American ranchers and the importance of portraying their contributions authentically. Notably, he mentions the impact of seeing a child admire his character, reinforcing the significance of representation.
“Being able to wear that hat and wear that coat... gives him the feeling that, like, oh, I could do that as well.” ([28:42] - [35:38])

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IV. Interview with Jake Ream

A. Introduction and Background

Jake Ream introduces himself, detailing his upbringing in Utah, his experience working on various ranches across Texas, California, and Nevada, and how he eventually connected with the Yellowstone team.
“I grew up in a small town in Utah, Mapleton, Utah... it's something that I got lucky too and guess met the right people at the right time.” ([35:53] - [37:49])

B. Economics of Ranching and Dutton Ranch Business Model

Jake provides insights into the economic challenges faced by large ranches like the Dutton Ranch. He explains how real estate sales, cattle raising, and horse breeding contribute to maintaining these extensive landholdings.
“A lot of it is a real estate business... keeping that ranching livelihood alive, which is super hard to do nowadays.” ([37:49] - [39:35])

C. Raising Cattle and Horse Ranching

Delving deeper, Jake explains the specifics of cattle raising, including breeding practices and market strategies. He also discusses the lucrative yet risky business of horse breeding for competitions, highlighting potential profits and losses.
“If you get a really good cutting stud horse... you can price those Colts at 50 to 150,000 really easy.” ([39:35] - [43:37])

D. Connecting Actors and Horses

Jake recounts his role in training horses and pairing them with actors, ensuring that both the animals and the riders perform seamlessly. He shares anecdotes about the initial challenges and the rewarding outcomes of this collaboration.
“It was a great experience... knowing the horses prior to putting actors on them.” ([43:53] - [48:06])

E. Appearing on Camera and Acting Challenges

Jake discusses his transition from behind-the-scenes roles to acting on camera. He shares his initial fears, the learning curve involved in delivering lines while performing, and the supportive dynamics among the cast that ease the process.
“It's kind of funny when I'm sitting on a horse, it's not hard for me to think about it, and I just do it.” ([48:06] - [51:54])

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V. Conclusion

Jefferson White wraps up the episode by thanking Denim Richards and Jake Ream for their invaluable contributions and insights. He reiterates appreciation to the listeners and encourages them to subscribe to the podcast for future episodes.
“Thank you so, so much for taking the time... The Official Yellowstone Podcast is hosted by me, Jefferson White and produced by 101 podcast studios and Paramount Network.” ([51:54] - [End])

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Denim Richards: "Doing, you know, being lucky enough to be on something that lasts this long is akin to, I like to say, going to, you know, college." ([02:05])

• Denim Richards: "It's our space, it's our clubhouse. It's our, you know, our second home." ([03:13])

• Jake Ream: "Ryan's first and foremost loyal to the ranch and to what it needs." ([09:55])

• Jake Ream: "We laugh about, you know, how young we were, and here we are doing the same stuff." ([11:33])

• Denim Richards: "You really can't fake the horsemanship. It's like you really have to live it." ([17:19])

• Jake Ream: "If you get a really good cutting stud horse... you can price those Colts at 50 to 150,000 really easy." ([39:35])

• Denim Richards: "Being able to wear that hat and wear that coat... gives him the feeling that, like, oh, I could do that as well." ([28:42])

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Key Takeaways

• Family on Set: The actors form strong, familial bonds that enhance their on-screen chemistry and authenticity.

• Authentic Representation: There is a focused effort to portray characters with rich backstories and genuine relationships, reflecting real-life complexities.

• Economic Realities of Ranching: The podcast provides a deep dive into the financial challenges and strategies involved in maintaining large ranches, including cattle raising and horse breeding for competitions.

• Importance of Horsemanship: Authentic interaction with horses is crucial, both for realism on screen and for the actors' understanding of ranch life.

• Representation Matters: Denim Richards emphasizes the significance of representing African American ranchers, highlighting the cultural and historical responsibilities inherent in such roles.

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This detailed summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting the camaraderie among the cast, the economic intricacies of ranching, the importance of authentic representation, and the immersive experience of working on Yellowstone. The inclusion of notable quotes with timestamps provides direct insights from the hosts and guests, enhancing the richness of the summary for both existing fans and newcomers.

Transcript

[Jefferson White]

Hey, everybody, it's Jefferson White coming back at you with the official Yellowstone podcast, presented by Wynn Las Vegas. I honestly can't even begin to tell you how much fun I'm having doing this podcast. I'm so grateful for the reviews you're leaving, the comments and the overwhelming feedback. It really. It means the world to us. We feel so lucky to be a part of this conversation with you. And I'm just so, so grateful for your time and your generosity and your energy. So thank you so much for listening. Let me start off by saying that.

[Ian Bowen]

I love the show, too. I'm a huge fan of the show, and I'm learning so much more about.

[Jefferson White]

The show, about the people that make it through the process of doing this podcast. So I just can't thank you enough, and I'm excited to jump back in. Yes, I am still recording at the Wynn Las Vegas. I had a little bit of a chance to wander around today, and it's nuts. It's incredible. This place is amazing. And the people here, the staff are so friendly, so kind, so generous. I. I really can't thank them enough. I could go on and on and on, but everyone's pretty sick of hearing my voice already. Today I get to hang out with my bunk house boys, my dear friends. Unfortunately, they couldn't make the trip out here, but we dialed them in. We're going to take a quick break. When we come back, I'm going to chat with my dear friends, fellow bunkhouse boys, Ian Bowen, Denham Richards, and J. Cream.

[Ian Bowen]

We are joined today by my dear friend Ian Bowen. Ian plays Ryan on the show, one of the bunkhouse boys, a branded man. Ian, thank you so, so, so much for being here.

[Denim Richards]

Oh, it's my pleasure. I'm so. I'm so happy to be with you guys and doing more Yellowstone stuff.

[Ian Bowen]

So we've been doing this for four years now. Will you talk a little bit about the experience of working on a show over time, how you feel about it now versus when we started? We just talk about what it's like to work on a show for four years.

[Denim Richards]

Doing, you know, being lucky enough to be on something that lasts this long is akin to, I like to say, going to, you know, college. You start in a new place, you have new people, you got dorm, you don't know anybody, you don't know what to eat, and where do you go, and you just walk around and work and talk to people, and you kind of learn as you go, and then you build a family. And then by the time you Know, you graduate, it's an epoch of your life. And you could not ask for a better scenario for a performer to have this kind of family for this amount of time in this location to doing this kind of work. It's literally a dream comes come true.

[Ian Bowen]

Times, you know, 10, you mentioned family there. Will you talk a little bit about. Because we, we've. We've been a part of the, the Bunkhouse Boys for going on four years now. We've shot so many scenes together, we've returned to the same locations over and over again. Will you talk a little bit about what it means to you to, to be a bunkhouse boy, to sort of work with the same folks over and over again to build that family unit up over years?

[Denim Richards]

The Bunkhouse is a wonderful part of the show that is separate from the regular day to day, the drama and the violence and everything that is, you know, typically Yellowstone. The Bunkhouse Boys is like a break when you, when you get that into that arena and so you and me and Denim, you know, getting together and just, you know, laughing. It's our space, it's our clubhouse. It's our, you know, our second home. And, you know, it doesn't feel like it's been a long time. It feels new and refreshed that, that set. And it feels comfortable and it feels home. You kind of, you know, you walk in and you put your hat there and I put my hat here and someone sits there and it's just like walking into your living room. So, you know, and I think that helps us when we have those scenes. It just makes them more realistic and more vivid and tells a bit of a bit more story because that's, you.

[Jake Ream]

Know, we know that so, so well.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah, it's a very authentic experience. Like, not only have we been playing friends who live together for four years, we've also been friends who, you know, effectively live together and spend all this time together. Yeah, those relationships because you lived.

[Denim Richards]

You lived with denim, right?

[Ian Bowen]

That's exactly right.

[Denim Richards]

Absolutely. I kind of wanted, I was looking to get roommates, like, next year. I was like, maybe we should all rebunk back up and get a big house and all stay together. Just because we all get along so well and it just would be fun.

[Ian Bowen]

Those relationships have, like a really awesome.

[Jake Ream]

This is my way of asking, you.

[Denim Richards]

Want to move in with me?

[Jake Ream]

Yeah.

[Ian Bowen]

I was like, yes. Talk to me about this sort of authenticity of those relationships over the course of time, because Ryan's relationship to Colby has deepened over the course of that time in the Same way that your relationship to Denim has. Ryan's relationship to Forrie or to Lloyd, rather, has deepened over time. So there's something sort of. It's kind of a back and forth, the characters and the actors. So as your relationship deepens with those actors, how does that affect your work on set and in the story?

[Denim Richards]

So in the background of the. Of the piece. Right. The show, these characters have a history that we don't know about. We don't know how long they've known each other. We don't know the depths of that. But it's. It's.

[Jake Ream]

It's.

[Denim Richards]

It's lengthy, and we don't. We don't have that as people because we just, you know, we just met each other. So as we get to know each other more and more and more and spend more personal time, you know, as you just know and begin to love people, and it deepens, you grow fuller with them. So, of course, that flavors everything that you do, and things start to come out just like they do, inside jokes and nuances, because you've spent time that you can't really fake. I mean, maybe the best actors can fake that. I don't know. But the stuff that just is there, and you didn't even know it was there, that people see it and they're like, what a wonderful moment. You're like, we were just talking because, you know, and not only, like, you and me and Denim, we don't just, like, go to work together. You go to eat, go to the gym. We go for walks. We do. It's just we live where we are together, just like those guys in that place. So I think, and I hope and I think I know that it comes through that these men are bonded in a way that's different than just being, you know, being employees together.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah. It's hard to fake a friendship, and it's also hard to fake horsemanship. It's hard to fake the sort of cowboy stuff that we're asked to do day after day. So will you talk a little bit about your journey? Growing as a cowboy, growing as a horseman.

[Denim Richards]

I had a lot of experience as a kid being around horses, you know, staying on them. We'll say that was. That's the number one thing. And I didn't really begin to grow until I obviously was a teenager and later in life. And then on this show, the emphasis on being particularly skilled, or at least, you know, looking like you're skilled, which is actually being skilled, it's. It's important. So we get taught, we Practice all the time, working with, you know, the horses from the equipment, the procedure and posture, and how you. How you speak with the animal with the reins, how you input with them and how they understand you. There's a lot going on there. It's a. It's a magical dance. And there's so many professional people on set to help us and guide us and teach us that I think every year we all get better and stronger. We're now competing in, you know, we have a rodeo and we compete against each other. And so there's bragging rights about that. And it's. That's a wonderful perk, is, I think, on our. We're on our way to becoming professional horsemen.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah. I think something that Taylor's brilliant at is he's brilliant at taking those guys who have authentically lived in this world, and their role in the show is becoming bigger and bigger, more and more prominent. So guys like Ethan Lee, Jake Ream, Mo brings plenty. Ryan Bingham, guys who. Who grew up doing this stuff, guys who we are learning from, guys who we're studying and learning from, they're sort of not only teaching us, but also in the show themselves, getting bigger and bigger roles. So you just mentioned to go. Mark Warrick, his son Jason, or Jordan, rather, his son. Oh, boy. Mark Warrick, his son Jordan. Jason Rodriguez, our stunt coordinator. Every time I. Every time I do anything for publicity and I don't shout out Jason Rodriguez, I end up hearing about it. So, J Rod, Jason Rodriguez, best stunt coordinator in the business. Hell of a writer, hell of a cowboy, hell of a competitor.

[Jake Ream]

Well, it's a. It's a. It's a tribute to Taylor, because he knows if you don't hire the best people that they are going to populate your soup. They're going to give you all the flavor. So, you know, if you. Whatever you want to get, that's what you're going to get. And so these guys, like you said, all of that feel of who they are and that. That those, you know, decades of history within the world of them. It's in. You see it, it's on the screen. You can watch it, but you don't know that you're seeing it, but it's. It's in there. So thank God, because if it was just you and me, Jeff and Denim, without Jake and Ethan and J Rod, we would be just like three dipshits just walking around.

[Ian Bowen]

We're still three dipshits just walking around.

[Jake Ream]

100.

[Ian Bowen]

Let's.

[Jake Ream]

Let's not get over our skis here. But, yeah, they. Yeah, they're. It. They are. You know, the Yellowstone is a field. The Yellowstone is a culture. It's an identity. It's an idea. It's not a person.

[Denim Richards]

It's. It's.

[Jake Ream]

It's the stuff, and those guys are the stuff.

[Ian Bowen]

Will you talk a little bit about Ryan's loyalties? Ryan's kind of split loyalties. So Ryan obviously wears the brand. He works for the Dutton Ranch. He has a tremendous loyalty to John Dutton, but he also is a law enforcement officer. Will you talk a little bit about that kind of duality?

[Jake Ream]

I think it's one. It's really interesting that he does get to have the extra world, alternate world of being, you know, police officer, because it takes him away from the bunkhouse, and he gets to have two lives there. He is first and foremost loyal to the ranch and to what it needs. And, you know, the sort of a father figure. Like, he would do anything. He would probably sacrifice himself just so that things can keep going in the status quo. Even though he's not part of the family, but he's taken on that want or desire. And then when he's outside of that, when he's doing the policing, it just, you know, gives him an opportunity to sort of be upwardly mobile. You know, he's got ambitions. He would like to be in charge of more things and have more responsibility. So there's a chance for him to shine in that realm where he's. He's outside of the bunkhouse to the point where he's not elevated, but he might think, hey, I got a badge. I'm a guy here, so you might kick my ass in the bunk house, but I'm the boss of this world. So it's. It's a neat place for him to play him. I'm curious where he ends up, because he's gonna have to land it one or the other, I think, and be completely committed. So we'll see. I'm not sure yet.

[Ian Bowen]

And also, will you talk a little bit about this? Isn't Yellowstone isn't the first time you've worked with Kevin. Will you just tell the story of working with Kevin Costner as a young actor?

[Jake Ream]

Yeah, for sure. For sure. I got cast in a film called Wyatt Earp when I was 14 or 15, and I played young Wyatt. And Kevin when he shot that movie, is the age that I am now, and I played young him. And we would sit on the boardwalk of this town that they built in New Mexico, you know, where with the dirt line streets where they you know, the gunfight at the OK crowd, just like you had in your mind. So we were sitting on the boardwalk, right, looking at all of that stuff, and he was telling me about acting and life and, you know, I'm just a kid, and I'm just. I'm like, is this what it's. Is this what it's like? This is a great job. I'm gonna keep doing this. I'm forever. I'm gonna be an actor. And he was just, you know, lovely. And, you know, of course, it imprinted on me. I wanted to be a cowboy since, you know, I was an infant. And that was a fulfillment of a dream. And then now we've come full circle and do the same thing again, and, you know, he tells the same story, and we laugh about, you know, how young we were, and here we are doing the same stuff, sitting on fences and playing with horses. So it's a treat.

[Ian Bowen]

He was the same age then that you are now, so he was 29.

[Jake Ream]

Exactly.

[Ian Bowen]

Will you talk a little bit about working with Luke? So you have your world with the bunkhouse boys, and then you also have your. You've had these amazing sequences with Luke Grimes, with Casey, where it's kind of the two of you against staggering odds. So will you talk a little bit about shooting those sequences with Luke?

[Jake Ream]

First off, Luke is incredibly, like, pensive and ethereal and, like, thoughtful man. That's just. He's a joy to be around. And I feel like we're always complimenting each other in terms of, like, what are we doing in life? He's a philosophical dude, so I love hanging out with him. It's a treat to do scenes outside the bunkhouse with a new, you know, a new character that has a new dynamic, someone from the family, if you will. And it makes Ryan feel good that he's able to, you know, to be sort of on an equal playing field with him. We, you know, we have. We have great scenes. We have a really good time, and it's fun to. But here's what I like the best about it, because my character doesn't know him so much as well as I know the person. The. The character has to really listen and watch what he's doing, to take his cues from him, because Ryan is looking for a lead from Casey. And so as an actor, it's a really good time to try to be that attentive. And then the scenes become easy because the words just are there. You just say them. You don't have to do anything. If you get out of the way you're doing yourself a favor.

[Ian Bowen]

There's sort of, over the course of season four, there's like a heightened tension in the bunkhouse. Like, a lot of conflicts that started percolating in season three. These new faces in the bunk house with Mia, with Laramie, with Teeter, all of that kind of. That tension has been percolating for a whole season, and it starts to sort of bubble over in season four. Will you talk about that a little bit about the. The bunkhouse in season four isn't all fun and games. It's not all necessarily. The bunkhouse stops being so aligned and stops operating as a single unit in season four.

[Jake Ream]

Well, yeah, think about it. You have this masculine domain of just like a raunchy frat house, and then you introduce a feminine element that is just as masculine in what you can do, what your livelihood is, what your skill is, horsemanship, roping, whatever. But it's got a female component to that. These guys are pinwheeling. They're just like. They don't know how to process it. So it comes in and it takes over. And then I think you'll see the dynamic on screen because, you know, men and women connect and operate in a way that we all understand, and it's predictable, it's nice. And then you just throw in a little bit of the chaos. They. They turn the bug house upside down. And these guys, you know, denim or Colby, he didn't know what to. Literally, if you see him, he's like deer in the headlights based on what's, you know, what's happening with them. So that's just going to continue to. That's just. It's going to just continue to. To roll out with, you know, girls and boys.

[Ian Bowen]

Thank you so, so, so much for taking my pleasure to do this.

[Jake Ream]

Let's, of course, let's do it again this year.

[Ian Bowen]

Absolutely. I can't wait. And I'll see you there soon.

[Jake Ream]

Season four is going to knock everyone out, and we'll come back and talk more then. I love you, I miss you, and I can't wait to see you again soon.

[Ian Bowen]

I love you too, brother. I'll see you very soon, I hope.

[Jake Ream]

Okay, I look forward to it.

[Ian Bowen]

Bye now.

[Jefferson White]

Man, I love talking to that guy. Ian, of course, we started out as coworkers, but at this point, we've been friends for maybe even family. Starting to blur the lines between friends and family. At this point, we're going to step aside for a quick moment, and then we're going to be right back with Denim Richards.

[Ian Bowen]

Today we're talking to Denim Richards. Denim Richards plays Colby on Yellowstone. Denim Richards is also obviously a close personal friend after four years of surviving, working on the Dutton ranch together. So, Denham, thank you so much for being here, man.

[Denim Richards]

It's always a pleasure, as you said, to be with my close personal friend, Jefferson White, who, like you said, we have survived. We haven't thrived, but we have survived. Four seasons of Paramount Networks never will show Yellowstone, bro.

[Ian Bowen]

I'm just thinking of every time that we've showed up to set that there's basically. Basically, they're just trying to build a fence, and it ends up becoming our job to build the fence. Just over and over again, man.

[Denim Richards]

It's like, you know, you show up and you're like, oh, we out. We're just gonna dig this hole. And you're like, okay, perfect. Just on the day, you'll just stick the shovel in and you'll just dig it, and then it'll be done. And then nine and a half hours later, you've literally trenched the entire, entire acre of land. You know, and then we just go up to each other and quietly rub each other's backs. So there's probably a lot of outtakes of back rubbing of the. Of the show, but, you know, it's always fun. And, you know, in this last season, we didn't get to work with each other as much as you were all kind of doing your own thing. But, you know, you got better and bigger than us, you know. But it's. So it's a pleasure to be able to connect you just in this way. Cause this is actually more than I've spoken to. Even when we were filming, bro.

[Ian Bowen]

Talk to me. Okay, so we've been having this conversation and making these jokes for four years now, since we first met in cowboy camp in Utah, 2016. So talk to me about how immersive the show is because. So we're the bunkhouse boys. We work on the Dutton ranch. Talk to me about what that looks like on any given day. Talk to me about what it. What it's like to sort of pretend to work on a ranch and how, you know, how is that the same? And how is that different than actually.

[Jefferson White]

Working on a ranch?

[Denim Richards]

Great question. You know, we did meet when I met you at cowboy camp. I on my stomach vomiting because of the altitude, and you were out tranquilly reading books at 6am so we definitely met each other in very different places. But the funny thing is that the show, it's so immersive because it's like you're really riding the horse, right? It's not like you're not riding the horse or that. It's like a mechanical horse, so you're really riding the horse. You're really getting those, like, scars and bruises on your butt because your butt's not used to riding on horses. Because, you know, I grew up in the city, so it's a different world. But, you know, just like, for every day, it's like what ranchers do, they wake up at, you know, 5:00am they, you know, put on their jeans, they put their boots, and they have their thing, right? And we kind of do the same thing. Now, I'm not saying that we are, you know, official ranchers, but I'm saying, like, we do get up 5am and we do put on the chat and we have to warm the horses up. And so what. What Yellowstone does, at least for me, is it's given me a much stronger appreciation for that lifestyle because it is a lifestyle, you know, and when you come back from a day on the Dutton ranch, you're actually tired. You're genuinely exhausted, as if you've, like. Like, oh, I feel like I'm actually, like, this is what I actually do for my job, you know, your back hurts. You know, your back hurts, your butt hurts. You know, you've been in the sun all day. You're exhausted. You know, you just want a big meal and a hot bath and want to go to sleep. Or if you're like me, a lavender bath and a kombucha. But, you know, to each their own. We're all different types of cowboys.

[Ian Bowen]

Like, you can't. I like to make the joke. You can't really fake dig a hole, you know, you can't really fake drive a fence post in. Doing it as an actor, you know, as a character is not so different from doing it in real life, you know?

[Denim Richards]

Exactly.

[Ian Bowen]

So talk to me about.

[Jefferson White]

We've been doing this.

[Denim Richards]

Exactly. I mean, we.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah, yeah, go ahead.

[Denim Richards]

No, no, I was just gonna say I agree with you that it's like we really have to get on the horses. We really have to take the sledgehammer, pound it into the ground. You know, it. We're doing the job. And sometimes, you know, we're just doing it one time. We're doing it take after take after take, and different angles, you know, so it's not like we just only get to knock the fence post in one time. It's like sometimes, you know, that's 15, 16 times. So I definitely and totally agree with you.

[Ian Bowen]

So talk to me a little bit about what it was like to go from, you know, the kind of work we'd gotten used to over three years, the kind of routine we'd settled into, to all of a sudden you're throwing punches. You're, you know, you and Teeter are sort of fighting a gang of bikers. Talk to me about that day and the process of shooting that scene.

[Denim Richards]

Well, you know, as you know, you know, the. Everything in, you know, television or film usually never goes as they tell you that it's going to go. That doesn't necessarily mean it's going to be a bad thing. It just means you have to be malleable. You know, you have to kind of go and be in a space where you're like, look, I know that I'm gonna be here and I have to be present. And so as you're reading these things, you think, okay, cool, maybe it'll be, you know, it'll be a fun, you know, brawl to do. But you don't even in myself, I don't know about you, but sometimes when you're doing these physical things, you kind of forget the fact that you, you're gonna do it more than one time. So you, you read it and you're like, okay, cool. You just show up on the day and there'll be like a little brawl and then you turn to the next page and then that's done. Because it's like a quarter of a page. But that quarter of a page is like a 13 hour day. And it's, you know, 12, 13 different setups, five different takes of taking the same punch. Okay, if we could just get a little bit dirt in your nose. And maybe this time instead of trying not to breathe in the dust, if.

[Jake Ream]

You could just pick up the dirt.

[Denim Richards]

And just lick it, that would be great. You're just like, all right, cool. But whatever you have to do. And then of course, when they edit it, you're like, okay, what looks amazing? But, you know, on those types of days, you just kind of forget, you know, and, you know, the days will be hot and lots of things, but the great thing and, you know, this life as an actor, in my opinion, becomes so much more enjoyable when you're doing it with group of people, you know, in a group of people that actually speak, speak to and hanging out with, you know, outside of set. Because at least during the takes you can still be conversing about something as opposed to oftentimes sometimes there'll be a one on One kind of dialogue with somebody that you don't really have any real kind of close relationship with. So on a day like that, where the teeter and, you know, and Ryan, or even, you know, and Cole, and for who we've all hung out and gone bowling and played cards with, you know, outside of set, so it kind of becomes more of an enjoyable thing that kind of gets you through those kind of grueling punches, the consistency of hitting the ground, because we're all kind of in the same world going through the same punches again, the same hit, so it becomes a little bit more easier, which is why my favorite days are always like the bunghouse, because we kind of all get to feed off of each other's energy and get to kind of celebrate and have fun with each other when the number is not rolling.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah. And I think that that's one of the brilliant things about Taylor as a writer and about the filmmakers, is that a lot of that unspoken stuff, a lot of those relationships that have been building behind the scenes while we're bowling, while we're fucking playing poker, you know, while everybody's talking shit, that stuff can't help but seep into those scenes, you know, and something that Taylor's so good at is he's so good at identifying those dynamics that are developing and building on them. So from season one, you know, one of the. One of my favorite things on the show is we always return to that table in the bunkhouse. We're returning to that table in the bunkhouse. And from season one to season four, every relationship at that table is so much richer, so much more informed by history, both on the show and outside the show, informed by experiences that me and you had, you know, like shit that we did on our days, you know, a competition, you know, me, you and Ian going bowling, or me, you and Ian playing tennis. That can't help but trickle into the day, like that competitive atmosphere. So the show spends so much time with the Dutton family. It spends so much time delving into the, like, intricacies and history of their relationships. But from the very beginning, Taylor has been so good, and I think we. We've taken it ourselves to make it. Try to make it feel like the bunkhouse boys have just as much history, have just as many stories. I think there's a real authenticity that we're seeking to bring to these people, because nobody just works a job. Everybody out in the world, people you bump into, you see, nobody is only one thing. You know what I mean? Like, nobody is just their job. And so we've really taken it on ourselves from the beginning to try to make it so these guys aren't just their job. You know, they have whole lives outside the bunkhouse. They have whole lives outside their responsibilities on the ranch. They have all these different relationships and opinions and attitudes regarding all the different characters we spend a little more time with.

[Denim Richards]

Yeah, right. But I think it adds to. Add to what you're saying. I think that what adds to our own creativities as artists.

[Ian Bowen]

Right.

[Denim Richards]

Because you. You have to find this kind of. This way to show that there's much more richness, you know, because I think it's very easy to just come across as though the character started when the camera on them, instead of feeling and creating a feeling as though these characters were existing before the camera even on them. And the camera just happened to drop itself down into their lives that were already going on. And as the camera goes away from them to another world or another part of the ranch, those characters lives are still in continuation.

[Ian Bowen]

Yes, exactly. Yeah. It really fleshes it all out and makes it so much richer and deeper than just what appears on camera. Will you talk to me really quick? You've taught me a lot. You've taught me a lot about a lot of things. You taught me a lot about basketball. I've taught you a lot about Halo Reach. You know, we've really. We've talked into a lot of stuff together. Something you've taught me a lot about is history. Because you're someone who takes history very seriously. You carry a sort of important legacy with you. Will you talk to me about your relationship and any. The responsibility that you feel as Colby to sort of. To bring a very rich history to the Dutton ranch. Can we talk about that just a little bit?

[Denim Richards]

Yeah. No, the great thing about the fact you've taught me about Hale Reach, I've talked to you about basketball. Both. Neither of us are making any money, and so we've really poured into each other. But, you know, I honestly having the opportunity to be, you know, on this show in a capacity of, you know, of Colby on this show being, you know, a black man, a melanated man, or in Kikongo, you would call it, Moindu, which is the people of the sun, being that you carry so much of a history, because our ancestors, that was what they were doing beforehand. That was how they made their living. They were doing that actually on the continent. Before they even ended up in Americas. They were doing agriculture and dealing with cows, you know, doing cattle and all of Those things. So as I had started getting more and more into just my own personal history, my family's history, even things that are still coming out today, being able to be on the show and seeing and feeling the response of seeing that representation of, you know, when we have like 45 million African Americans in the west and at least half of them have all come from families that actually started in the agricultural, not only just agriculture, but ranching, because that was part of the livelihood as for many people that were there. And so getting the opportunity to kind of share that not not only with them, but like with the ancestors that came before you. And then also understanding that, you know, the rodeos that were created were actually created and launched by this guy named Bill Pickett. And Bill Pickett, he used to take, he used to ride up or whatever on his horse, would go after a bull and then he would ride up and then he would jump from his horse onto a bull, grab the horn and bite the lip of the bull and drag it down to the ground and then rope it. And this is why even today they still have no picket rodeo. That is an annual event. And you know, so being able to kind of learn this and then as my dad has taught me more about the history, you know, it really is just a different responsibility, but it's a beautiful responsibility because it's a responsibility that's not given to everyone, you know. And so as much as you realize how fortunate and how blessed you also there is this extra added layer of responsibility of just representation, representation in a different light than I think how we would usually see our people represented. So I think that that's what makes it interesting because we also were living full lives and we're doing other things, you know, other than just being these like one dimensional people. We also were, you know, cowboys and ranchers and, you know, farmers and all these other things. So just being able to wear that hat and wear that coat and didn't honestly, you know, and I'll wrap it up with this. My, my answer with this is that I didn't realize that responsibility until I actually went to the Bill Pickett rodeo. And I walk in and there was a family and there was a three year old, a little three year old young prince with the cowboy hat on, a cowboy boots on. And he was just so excited because this is the guy that he had seen on Yellowstone. His family was like, they were so excited because this is something that this kid wants to be a cowboy when he grows up. So to be somebody that looks like him at his age, it gives him the feeling that, like, oh, I could do that as well, you know? So it just becomes like those little things like that to us that we're like, what is it? But, you know, we all remember being young and wanting to have those little things to aspire to. It's those things that really make you feel very fortunate and blessed to be able to be in the position and to do, you know, what we're doing with this show.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah, man, it's been. I've been so, so grateful to you for your patience and your, like, grace in teaching me about this stuff. Like, I've looked to you to learn about this stuff, about this rich history, but also just horsemanship. Because from day one, listen, let's be really honest. We all. We compete in a lot of ways. You know, we trade back and forth in certain things. But from day one, I've been learning from you how to ride. You've been an amazing rider from basically when we started. And everybody, like, they ask you to do stuff that they don't ask the rest of us to do because they effectively, they know you can handle it. I've seen you do. And what you were saying earlier about, you know, you show up to work, you don't know what to expect, and all you can really do is go in there with an open mind, ready to do your job. You know, like, as an actor or as a rancher, it's impossible to know what the new day is going to bring. It's impossible to know when we're. When we're sort of riding up on a herd of cattle. We don't know if a calf is going to split and run off. You don't know what's going to happen. The equivalent of that is you don't know if Jeff's going to be in a bad mood because he stayed up way too late. There's a lot of variables on set. And you are somebody who. I've always been so impressed by your ability to roll with the punches and sort of figure out how to do whatever is asked of you. That's something that I am trying to learn from you as an actor, because I go in with a certain expectation, and then if. If it changes, if it's not what I expected, that shakes me. And I've seen you over and over again identify what needs to be done and get it done. And I think that's an incredible gift that you have.

[Denim Richards]

Well, I mean, I appreciate that, you know, but I've also, you know, I think we. We've earned a lot from each other because you. You bring a different. A different level of professionalism. And, yes, we can all identify. We all have different quirks. Right? Like, I have my quirks, you have yours. We all. That's what makes us unique. We're human, so that's what makes us so. But it's, you know, I think for us, one of the exciting things about being on the show is the fact of you can't. It's not predictable. So it feels as though this is just my personal opinion. It feels like this is a show that if you try to anticipate the next day, you're almost, like, doing your great disservice because it's like, it's just not going to be like that.

[Ian Bowen]

Denim, thank you so much for taking the time to do this, man. You're a busy man. You've got a lot of incredible stuff going on. So thank you so, so, so much for taking the time to do this. I so appreciate it, man.

[Denim Richards]

No problem, Jeff. It's always a pleasure. And hopefully I'll be seeing you soon.

[Ian Bowen]

Very soon.

[Jefferson White]

Thank you so much, Denim, for being here. Denim is obviously incredibly busy. He's got a lot going on and is valuable. So I feel so lucky we got to chat with him. We're going to take a breath, and then we're going to be right back with Jake Ream.

[Ian Bowen]

So we are here today with Jake Ream. Jake is a horse trainer, horse breeder, He's a rancher. He's a businessman. He's also, as of a few years ago, an actor. So Jake appears on Yellowstone as the character Jake. Jake does about 30 jobs on Yellowstone, and every department owes him a tremendous debt of gratitude. So I'm really excited to talk. Talk to Jake. Jake, for the folks that don't know you yet, who haven't had the pleasure of being your friend for the last four years, will you just tell them a little bit about yourself, where you're from, how you came to wind up working on Yellowstone?

[Jake Ream]

Sure. So my name is Jake Rehm. I grew up in a small town in Utah, Mapleton, Utah. I live in Palmyra now, which is not too far from where I grew up. We. My grandfather was in the sheep business pretty heavily for a lot of years. So that's kind of my foundation. We had just a tremendous time on horses when we were younger, which paid off in the long. When I graduated high school, kind of got a job, opportunity to move to Texas. I ended up going to a town called Pilot Point, Texas, and working For a pretty big ranch down there. So that was. That was really cool. Got to meet a lot of great people down there. I moved from Texas to California, Worked out there for a little while. I went from California to a town called gardnerville, Nevada. Worked there for a while, worked on the ranches, Worked in northern California, all kind of all over and ended up moving back to Utah, you know, ended up meeting Taylor. And that's kind of. Kind of how the horse deal started. And you know, it's kind of a mystery from there. It's something that. Something that I, you know, got lucky too and guess met the right people at the right time. And now you and I are friends and we're all friends.

[Ian Bowen]

So. One of the, one of the big themes of Yellowstone is that the economics of ranching, How a ranch the size of the Dutton ranch stays around as long as it does, how it pays its bills. And from your own history, it sounds like you've sort of worked on ranches in a lot of different ways and seen the way they work from a lot of different perspectives. So will you talk a little bit just about how a ranch like the Dutton ranch functions economically? What's the business model? How does it work?

[Jake Ream]

Well, you know, I think nowadays, like the story says, A lot of it is a real estate business. Sometimes, you know, a lot of these ranches that are. That are big, when, when things get tough, they do sell. Sell parcels of ground to pay for their, you know, to pay for the things that. That they're needing. It seems to me like in this day and age, that's kind of what's keeping them alive. Obviously the, the store Dutton ranch would be, you know, their cattle they're going to sell. They're now they're in the horse business, know, which a lot of the big ranches are now in the horse business. The cattle ranches, they're raising horses and doing the breeding, all that kind of stuff. The, I think the goal with the big ranches is keeping that ranching livelihood alive, which is super hard to do nowadays. You know, there's developers, months coming in. You know, I mean, this, the Yellowstone story, you know, hits home to a lot of people and you know, it's something that they try to do anything you can to keep it alive, I believe.

[Ian Bowen]

Yeah, it's a really authentic story. So ranches that size, ranches that big are going through are asking themselves exactly the same questions that John Dutton is asking. How do I keep this land that's been in my family for generations? How do I keep it going. How do I avoid selling to these big developers? So the antagonists of Yellowstone, the bad guys in Yellowstone, real ranches are facing this all the time. So talk to me a little bit. You've worked on a lot of ranches. Talk to me about raising cattle, the economics of raising cattle. Talk to me about how that works.

[Jake Ream]

Well, you know the cattle part of the big cattle ranch is I haven't had the opportunity to be on the big cattle ra lot of big horse ranches I've been on. Obviously, you know, obviously they, they're raising what they, what they need. Number wise. They try to keep their replacement heifers, they try to breed them, they try to breed the better cattle, their fats. They sell their steers at the right time, they sell some of their replacement heifers. The older cows that aren't breeding, obviously they go to cell barns. A lot of those big ranches sell straight to the feedlots. You know, in Texas and Nebraska there's a lot of the big feedlots back there. So most of the ranchers, right when they wean those calves, they'll already have a set price on them of what they are going to sell for. And so those ranchers can already plan X amount of dollars coming in and it's just a year after year type of thing. And that's, you know, that's their main income right there.

[Ian Bowen]

And then you also talked about horse ranching. So the Yellowstone obviously in an effort, John Dutton, in an effort to keep his ranch, in an effort to avoid having to sell off parcels of land in season four of Yellowstone starts kind of diversifying his income stream. And one of the things he gets into is competition horses, right Is training and raising and sort of. And that's something that you have a lot of experience with yourself, right? You've trained reining horses, cutting horses. We talk about that aspect of it a little bit.

[Jake Ream]

You know, every, every, every guy's dream is to have an amazing stud horse. You know, if you get a, if you get a really good cutting stud horse nowadays, you can breed them, you know, 10 to $15,000 per mare. There's a stud horse, metallic cat obviously that we have heard the name of that Taylor has brought into the show for season four. And that horse, I want to say he's right around $15,000 per mare to breed to. That's life full guaranteed. And I want to say bred 350 mares last year. So you do the math on that and you get one of those and you've hit Yourself a big home run. That's every guy's the ranching brood mares that I'm going to call more of your working horses. You know, you're, your ranches will have, you know, 10 to 20 mares. They're going to breed two different, you know those, those good cowboy ranch horses are going to bring 7,500 to $20,000. Your really good cuddling horses are going to bring 50,000 to 150,000. So if, if one of those colts gets trained up in the cutting horse deal and it, and it does really well in competition and it's special, you can price those Colts at 50 to 150,000 really easy. And they do sell and they quick, you know, the ranch horses, the cowboy horses, what Yellowstone started with, you know, just your, just your average broke horses, you know they're, they're worth, they're worth some good money but you know they're not performance horses and that's what people are as the, is the performance horses which obviously the Dutton Ranch is trying to get into. You know, they're trying to buy some reining horses, trying to buy some cutting horses, getting into all that come into these next seasons. So there's a big profit in there and you can lose a lot of money in it too if you don't do it properly.

[Ian Bowen]

And you first met Taylor because you were working with him on this exact thing, right? You were selling him a horse basically. So you're somebody who trains these horses and then sort of pairs them up with people who are interested in those performance horses, right? Is that right?

[Jake Ream]

Absolutely, absolutely. Yep. I, I also take horses in training. You know, a lot of people send me young horses, two and three year olds and you know, that's my job to train them and I'll go perform on them and do the best I can. This year I've got two horses that we've trained up that I'm showing at the Fort Worth deal here in about three weeks. I had, I had to Fort Worth, which is the three year old futurity, which is the big of the big. So hopefully get a little luck there. And I've trained those horses and you know, try to get them showed for my customers. I also, you know, ride a lot of ranch horses, you know, try to make them better. You know, any, anybody that's got issues or you know, horses up or run away with them or have all those bad habits that's kind of been, you know, something that I've done in the past to try to help people out and better. Better those animals and make them better and help them fit each other. And you're right. You know, you have to place that rider. You know, a new rider, you got to place them on the right horse. You know, no different than when we went to cowboy camp. You know, we had 10 new actors and 10 new horse, and for two weeks, everybody rode every other horse. And we all tried to, you know, see what fit what. And I think we found a real good fit for them for Yellowstone.

[Denim Richards]

Yeah.

[Ian Bowen]

It's funny that you talk about, you know, training young clueless horses because Cowboy Camp, four years ago, season one of Yellowstone, you got 10 variously clueless actors. Will you talk a little bit about what it's like to kind of connect those two worlds, the actors and the horses?

[Jake Ream]

What was it like to connect actors and horses? It was very scary. No, it was a great experience. You know, it was. It was fun to, you know, thank goodness for good horses. All the horses were really good. But, you know, it's. It's like teaching somebody to ride a bike. And, you know, the better the feel they have, the, you know, the better they're going to communicate with the horses. And it was nice for Taylor to put me in the position. You know, at first I thought, all these actors, these famous people are coming. I'm not going to be able to tell them what to do or how to do it. And I remember Taylor said, hey, you're. You're their boss. You know, you tell them how to go, what to do and where. And, you know, when I had that okay, that I was able to do that, then it made me feel a lot more comfortable that I didn't have to, you know, beat around the bush. And, you know, I could say, damn you, Jefferson. Pull your head out of, you know, the clouds and do what you're supposed to do. And you would say, oh, what do you mean? And we talk about it and then it all work and we had all have a good time. So it was a great experience. And it actually. It actually helped my horsemanship a lot too, knowing the horses prior to putting actors on them. And it's kind of funny how those horses molded with the. With the, you know, with the different attitudes of the actors and the different attitudes of the horses. And I. It's kind of funny how they all kind of came together, you know. You know, you wrote, you rode my daughter's horse, Old Blue Jeans, the gray horse first for a long time. And when you got comfortable on him, you know, once you got comfortable, boy, you. You went up the ladder really quick. I'm not telling that because you're my friend, but you did, you know, you got super comfortable really quick because it was a gross, you know, it was a good horse, and you listened. And I remember just, you know, out here in the arena, the. The first time I let you work the mechanical cow, and you were chasing it back and forth, you know, the fake cow, and I thought, man, this guy's going to fall off. And I thought, here he goes. Nope, never did. I couldn't even get you to fall off. I wish I had that chance again.

[Ian Bowen]

We're very lucky to have, you know, a bunch of actors who are trying very hard to learn, who are very committed to learning. But we're also really lucky to have real riders, real horse trainers, real experts, not just behind the scenes, but also on camera, you know. So what's it been like for you, sort of appearing on camera for the first time and acting for the first time and sort of participating really, in an increasingly crucial role in the show?

[Jake Ream]

Scared the hell out of me the first few times. There's no doubt about that. It's, you know, the first couple, you know, I was always on camera in the background and hanging out. I think the first clip he let me. I think I said a few words. In episode 10, season one, he Let me do a roping deal with Rip, and I almost can't even remember the lines. And I remember going out there and roping, and I turned around and I set him and hit it, and we did it. And I didn't even bother me when I was on the horse. Kind of second nature. But when we're sitting in the bunkhouse or somewhere else, we did an episode where I was sitting on a fence, and that's all I had to think about was my lines. And I'm pretty sure Taylor was awfully mad at me come the editing time. It was. Well, it was. It was. It was a couple of times. And, you know, it's okay if I feel like if I can just kind of be myself and get the general drift of the conversation and maybe make some different stuff up or ad lip a little bit, it makes me a little more comfortable. But it's kind of funny when I'm sitting on a horse, it's not hard for me to think about it, and I just do it. But, you know, sitting around the bunkhouse table or out on the fence or, you know, some of the other stuff that we've done, it, if it's the only thing I have to think about it. I think I overthink it a little bit, but I think we're getting a little bit better at it. Hope so. I know you guys always giggle at me and Teeter. We did a. We did a scene on season four, and I really messed it up really bad. And she turned and looked at me, and she says, come again? And I thought to myself, was that in the script? And so I was teasing her. I said, just remember who saddles your horse in the morning. Beautiful woman. So, you know, I can always get you guys back. And, yeah, you guys have teased me a little bit. I've teased you guys, and it's been fun. It's been awesome.

[Ian Bowen]

Well, it's totally true what you said. It's easy when you can just be yourself. And I think that Taylor and the production designers and the whole crew have created a world that is so immersive that sometimes you can't help but just be yourself. Like, they've really built this world to feel so authentic, and especially for guys like you who grew up working on a ranch, when you go to work in the morning, you're working on a ranch, you know? So I think one of the big successes of the show is how sort of immersive and authentic the world that they've built is, you know?

[Jake Ream]

You know, I think, man, I don't know, that you could. I don't know. I've seen. If I've seen a western that has better horse. Horses and, you know, authentic saddles and ropes. I think he's put together a great crew. I mean, I look at the. I don't know if we've ever had an argument. I mean, yeah, there's tough times in that, but it's. It's. It's a great crew to with. And everybody helps each other. And I mean, I've helped props, I've helped locations, I've helped the helicopter pilot. I've. I mean, you know, and I think. I think if you're in it to be in the game, you better. You better be in the game and be on the team.

[Ian Bowen]

We're getting through it, man. It's a. It's a real. All of us on the show pretending to do this are watching you guys constantly, you know, so we're. We're taking little lessons where we can get them. Jake, thank you so, so, so much for taking the time and for taking care of us for going on five years now. So thank you, brother. I can't wait to see you soon, man. Thank you so much.

[Jefferson White]

Thank you. You so much for. For taking the time. Jake. Jake has been absolutely instrumental in teaching me not only how to ride a horse, but about this whole world, the.

[Ian Bowen]

Ranching world, the horse training world.

[Jefferson White]

And I feel so lucky. Jake is. Jake's amazing at a lot of things. He does about 10 jobs on Yellowstone and he's also just an incredible teacher who's taken such good care of me for the last four years. So thank you, Jake, and thank all of you out there for tuning in. I obviously wouldn't be able to do this without you. The Yellowstone family, we, we get these opportunities. We get to do this fun stuff. I get to chat with my friends like this in beautiful Las Vegas because of you. So thank you so, so much. We drop new episodes every Thursday, so make sure to subscribe and tune in to the Official Yellowstone Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts. The Official Yellowstone Podcast is hosted by me, Jefferson White and produced by 101 podcast studios and Paramount Network.