Yellowstone has become a cultural juggernaut, boasting one of television’s most passionate and vocal fanbases, but for Gil Birmingham, who plays Thomas Rainwater, this level of engagement is not exactly a new phenomenon. The actor previously experienced a similar phenomenon as part of The Twilight Saga, where he played Billy Black, the Quileute tribal leader and father of Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner). While both series have left a significant cultural mark, Birmingham says the fandoms are unique in their own ways.
Speaking exclusively to Collider, Birmingham reflected on his experiences with Twilight and Yellowstone. “I was just on a previous interview, and I went up to Forks, Washington, a couple of months ago, and I did a Twilight festival that I hadn’t done for probably 12 years,” Birmingham said. “I was just amazed at the passion of the fans who came from Brazil, Argentina, New Zealand, Australia, Canada.” Birmingham went on to note how Twilight created a community for its fans that transcended borders and even years.
“The thing I learned from that, and to a different extent, was the community that these pop culture shows provided for people and their entertainment. That’s hopefully what we’re doing, first and foremost, is entertaining people. But it oftentimes, surprisingly, goes deeper than that in terms of that shared community for that passion of that project. Now, they connect, and they have lifelong friendships. It’s the escape for them.
How Has Gil Birmingham Found the Difference Between ‘Twilight’ and ‘Yellowstone’ Fans?
While Twilight built an international community around fantasy and romance, Yellowstone has sparked more grounded yet equally intense discussions among its viewers. “Yellowstone, on the other hand, also brings large numbers of people and maybe somewhat more of a controversial base, because everybody’s got to politicizes the world that we live in anymore,” Birmingham explained.
“But it sparks discussion and debate about different perspectives. If you can bring people of different perspectives together to talk about things, then there’s no greater benefit than to bring people together to try to understand each other and to unify ourselves, to see ourselves as human beings, and to develop a respect for it.”
The actor also commented on how Yellowstone has introduced him to a new generation of fans who may not have been familiar with his previous work. “Being introduced to new audiences through Yellowstone, I did notice a shift in how I was recognized and approached compared to Twilight fans,” Birmingham admitted.
