We are the biggest Beth Dutton fans. She captivates the Yellowstone audience as as one of the toughest characters on television. She is fierce and loyal and terrifying, all while stealing Rip's heart and trying to rehabilitate a troubled teenage boy. We would never want to cross Beth, but we have to respect her tenacity, and her scenes with Rip are downright swoon-worthy. What a character! Over three-plus seasons of watching (and rewatching) Yellowstone, we've become very familiar with Beth's story, but how much do we know about the actress who portrays her?
Kelly Reilly herself is a bit of a mystery even though she's the star of one of TV's biggest hits. The 44-year-old actress starred in theatrical productions (even receiving a nomination for a Laurence Olivier Award) before finding roles in TV shows and movies like Sherlock Holmes, Flight, and True Detective. She's also married to financier Kyle Baugher, but details about her personal life are sparse.
So, you might be surprised to find out that Kelly isn't even her real name! She was born in London (that's right, London!) and studied drama at an all-girls school in Kingston upon Thames. At some point, she shortened her name from Jessica Kelly Siobhán Reilly.
In an interview about her character, Kelly's native accent is on display. On screen, she has mastered an American accent, and most viewers would never guess she's not a Montana local. One commenter on Youtube said, "I was just looking up a trailer for Brittania and I saw her and I'm like wait, she's off Yellowstone, SHE'S ENGLISH? NO WAY. Obviously, actors doing an accent is nothing out of the ordinary, but she totally inhabited the role that her being English didn't even seem possible."
While Kelly might not totally be like her onscreen character, both women are sure full of surprises.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers gift guides, product reviews, crafts, and TV shows like Yellowstone. She’s currently stitching up a cross-stitch pattern for the magazine’s next issue
