Paramount’s Yellowstone has become one of the most talked-about shows on television —and while the storytelling alone is enough to keep people interested, the hunky actors that bring the story to life certainly don’t hurt.

From Kevin Costner’s John Dutton, the serious and respected patriarch of the family, all the way down to Jefferson White as Jimmy Hurdstrom, the ranch hand who proved his loyalty and earned the respect of his Yellowstone peers, the actors on this show make it worth a watch.

Since the show’s 2018 debut, the Yellowstone universe has continued to grow, with spinoffs including 1883 and 1923, both detailing the origins of the Dutton family we’ve come to know, and the journey of their predecessors in days gone by.

What is Yellowstone about?

Yellowstone is a neo-western drama on Paramount starring Kevin Costner, Luke Grimes, Kelly Reilly and Wes Bentley as the Dutton family, who own the largest ranch in Montana. The series takes us through their intricate family dynamic, the complexities of their relationships with one another, the complications that arise when it comes to land and border conflicts and much more. All the while, the storyline is intertwined with elements of romance and drama.

While the main Yellowstone cast that make up the Dutton family are iconic in their own right, you can’t overlook supporting characters and actors like Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler, John Dutton’s right-hand-man. Each individual cast member brings something unique to the storyline, and we couldn’t imagine Yellowstone without each player.

What is 1883 about?

Premiering in 2021, 1883 was the first series to begin the Dutton origin story. Following James and Margaret Dutton, played by real-life spouses Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, this Paramount+ series chronicles their journey from Texas to Montana, where they would eventually settle down and form what we now know as the Yellowstone ranch.

What is 1923 about?

Premiering in 2022, 1923 is a continuation of the Dutton family history, led by Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren), Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar). In this installation, the Duttons endure life during Prohibition and the beginnings of The Great Depression.

Our Favorite Yellowstone, 1883 and 1923 actors

Ranking our favorite male actors within the Yellowstone universe is just about impossible. How could you put Rip Wheeler against Kayce Dutton, or even Spencer Dutton? While no easy feat, here is an unofficial list of our favorite Yellowstone hunks!

14. Wes Bentley as Jamie Dutton (Yellowstone)

While it’s tough to remove the actor from the character, we have to for the sake our our ranking’s integrity. Jamie Dutton is as controversial as they come, but Wes Bentley’s striking features and icy blue eyes ultimately put him on this list of Yellowstone hunks. The adopted son of John Dutton, we see over time the way his loyalty is tested (tests in which he ultimately fails), putting him at odds with the people he considered his family his entire life.

“I try not to judge my characters, but it’s been enough years that it’s hard not to at this point. It’s very hard to play him. And at the same time, I love it. I’m going to miss the challenge,” Bentley told The Hollywood Reporter. “Every single scene is literally the hardest scene I’ve ever had to do. Or it’s bringing in a new challenge. If the next thing is not the same challenge, I’m definitely going to miss it.”

13. Jefferson White as Jimmy Hurdstrom (Yellowstone)

White plays the fan-favorite Jimmy Hurdstrom. The ranch-hand had himself a tough start: Beginning as a thief involved with drugs, his grandfather convinced John Dutton to take on Jimmy as a ranch hand to help turn his life around. While his early days were no walk in the park, Jimmy proved himself to be loyal and hardworking.

“As an actor, you never really know where you’re going to wind up,” he told Looper. “You kind of audition for everything and the jobs you get, you cling to like a barnacle for as long as you can. I feel so, so lucky to have wound up on Yellowstone. It’s the best job I’ve ever had, and it’s been an incredible journey over the course of four years. It has had such an incredible response from audiences. It’s a show that I love that also has found an audience that loves it, and that’s been a tremendous gift.”

12. Denim Richards as Colby (Yellowstone)

Colby is another ranch hand at the Yellowstone, often known for his comedic timing, sarcastic remarks and banter with his fellow ranch hands. But ultimately, he too is a loyal and hard worker.

“Since starring on Yellowstone, I have a greater appreciation for the entertainment industry, as challenging as it is to be a part of – and I have cried many nights out of frustration and sadness, but I continued on, blocked out the noise, and beautiful things happened,” Richards told PWR Magazine.

11. Forrie J. Smith as Lloyd Pierce (Yellowstone actors)

Forrie J. Smith plays LLoyd Pierce, the oldest ranch hand at the Yellowstone. He knows the inner workings of the ranch like the back of his hand, and fans love him for his wise and kind-hearted nature.

“I’m just a country kid from Montana on screen with an Academy Award winner,” he told Good Housekeeping. “This is a dream come true for me, or actually, any actor.”

10. LaMonica Garrett as Thomas (1883)

Garrett brings to life Thomas in 1883. He, alongside Sam Elliott’s character of Shea Brennan, helps lead the group as they travel west.

“I think that he’s seen the worst in man. He left home or he left the plantation when he was 12 years old,” the actor told Esquire of his character in 2022. “And I’m sure he’s seen the worst in people. But Thomas…he sees kindness in people that other people might not see. And he has that optimism, because if you don’t, why not just go dig a hole and go lay in it?”

9. Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton (1923)

Ford leads in a rare television role as Jacob Dutton, the brother of James Dutton (Tim McGraw’s character in 1883). He is the man running the ranch after the death of his brother and his wife.

The actor said prior to his role, he watched some Yellowstone, “But it was more important for me to spend what time I had watching 1883,” he told The Wrap. “I really wanted to be grounded in the experience of the history of a family up to the point. I didn’t spend that much time watching the most contemporary iteration of the Dutton family.”

8. Sam Elliott as Shea Brennan (1883)

Sam Elliott is another one of the men responsible for guiding the early generation of Duttons into the west.

“I know that at this point in my life, there’s not going to be a better one that’s going to come along than this,” Elliott told AP News in 2023. “I feel like on some level, if I quit right now, I will have done what I set out to do when I was 9 years old wanting to be an actor. I’m spoiled.”

7. Tim McGraw as James Dutton (1883)

Tim McGraw leads 1883 as James Dutton, taking his family west to settle and willing to do whatever it takes to keep them safe on their journey. He is the founder of the famed ranch.

“Our call time was usually around 4 o’clock in the morning. You put on your costume, your chaps, your spurs and your gun belt, and then all of a sudden this metamorphosis occurs,” McGraw told The Hollywood Reporter of bringing his character to life.

“I like to get to set really early, so I would drive to where we were shooting that day and just walk around in the world that we were going to be shooting in. I’d get there just as the sun’s about to come up, walking through all these wagons and these tents. It wasn’t difficult to define your spot and find your guy. It happened so organically because of the surroundings we were in.”

6. Ryan Bingham as Walker (Yellowstone actors)

Ryan Bingham plays bad boy-playboy-cowboy Walker in the Yellowstone series. Bingham has brought his real-life musical talent with him when playing his role on the hit show, as we often see him with a guitar in tow.

“We’re always joking backstage and things like that,” Bingham told The Los Angeles Times. “It’s interesting how light and fun it is when we’re on set and we’re playing around. People are chasing around horses and things like that. But then when you see the show, it can be pretty dark.”

5. Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton (1923)

Brandon Sklenar plays Spencer Dutton, the youngest of James Dutton and Margaret Dutton, who is a game hunter living in Africa after World War I, but ultimately decides to make his way back to his family.

“I thought 1883 was a masterpiece, and my entire family [are] huge fans of Yellowstone, and I think Taylor’s just in a class of his own in terms of his writing,” he told Above the Line. “When I read this, I read the first two episodes, and it just clicked.”

4. Ian Bohen as Ryan (Yellowstone actors)

Ian Bohen plays Ryan, another ranch hand. He is a trusted member of the unit and additionally works as a livestock agent.

“I wanted to be a cowboy since I was a little kid spending summers on my grandfather’s farm in Wisconsin,” he told Numéro Netherlands. “Getting to play one in the mountains of Montana and shooting this show has been a dream come true. It’s certainly a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity. I don’t look at it like a job, it’s an entire lifestyle now. I’m very grateful.”

3. Kevin Costner as John Dutton (Yellowstone actors)

Kevin Costner has led this cast as John Dutton up until its final season as the main man behind the Dutton Ranch. Although he has said his goodbyes to the show and will not appear in the upcoming and final season, his character is fierce, controlled and intimidating, and he’s willing to go to great lengths to protect both his land and his family. His acting chops and classic good looks put him at #3 in our ranking.

2. Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton (Yellowstone actors)

Grimes plays the ultra-complex Kayce Dutton, son of John. His relationship with his father is complicated from the start of the first episode, but as time goes on, we see as their lives become more and more intertwined once again. Kayce is slightly brooding, mysterious, but can show his sensitive side when it comes to his wife, Monica and son, Tate.

“Kayce, I just feel like the thing that I love about him, and [what] I think people connect to is, he’s really resilient. There’s always something overpowering him. And he’s always able to just keep moving. And I just love that quality,” he told Screen Rant. “You get to play a big vulnerability with that, that not many characters in Yellowstone have. They’re heroic, and they say what they want, and they get what they want, and they do what they want — he has a bit of that too. But he’s also a raw nerve, and he’s vulnerable, and he feels things, and it’s really fun to play all that stuff.”

1. Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler (Yellowstone actors)

Our top spot for Yellowstone hunks comes as no surprise, as everyone loves a little bit of Rip! So what is it that makes his character so appealing to the masses? Is it the fact that he’s a secret softie, disguised as a rough-around-the-edges cowboy? The undying love he has for Beth, played by Kelly Reilly? Or his constant loyalty and will to go above and beyond for the people he cares for? If you ask us, it’s a bit of everything.

“His loyalty to John and to the family is everything to him,” Hauser told Parade. “Beth is part of John and John’s a part of Beth, and the ranch is where he lives and he’ll do anything for the family and for the ranch.”