Posted in: Paramount+, TV | Tagged: Dutton Ranch

Dutton Ranch: Lind Discusses "Yellowstone" Dream, Ensemble Cast & More

Natalie Alyn Lind (The Gifted) discussed her role in Paramount+'s "Yellowstone" spin-off Dutton Ranch, the ensemble cast, and much more.

Many actors would be envious of the career Natalie Alyn Lind has had since emerging into the scene 20 years ago on the young adult drama One Tree Hill. She's appeared on several TV franchises, including iCarly, Criminal Minds, Wizards of Waverly Place, and iZombie. She's scored recurring roles on Fox's Gotham and The Gifted, and was able to flex her comedic chops on ABC's The Goldbergs. Her latest fulfills her fandom itch of entering the Taylor Sheridan-created Yellowstone universe in the Paramount+ series Dutton Ranch, playing Oreana Lynn Jackson, the daughter of Rob-Will Jackson (Jai Courtney), granddaughter of Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening), and Carter's (Finn Little) love interest, the apparent heir of 10 Petal Ranch. Lind spoke to Bleeding Cool about stepping up toe-to-toe with her more seasoned peers like Yellowstone stars in series holdovers Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton) and Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler), legends Bening and Ed Harris, embracing the series' ensemble nature, battling the Texas heat, and her latest holiday-themed horror comedy, Halloween Store.

Dutton Ranch Star Natalie Alyn Lind on Joining Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone Universe, Annette Bening, and More

BC: What intrigued you about Dutton Ranch, and how'd you get involved?

Lind: For me, I was a huge Yellowstone fan, so coming into this universe, the first thing that definitely drew me to the page was the fact that it was supposed to be a spin-off of one of my favorite shows, and getting involved with this. The thing I'm most excited about is taking a new storyline in this pre-existing world that's already so iconic and showing the audience something completely different, and something that they're not going to be expecting.

Did you have to retrain your mind as far as being in that universe now that you're in this spinoff, or was the material you have a reference to something that came in handy for your scenes and filming?

I think that these two shows, when you watch them, they do feel so separate, and for being a fan of the show, it definitely, at the beginning, I had to take a step back and go, "Oh my gosh! This doesn't feel real that I'm in this universe." But having people like Annette Bening and Ed Harris come in, they've completely shifted the tone, and they've completely shifted the vibe, and the fact that the show is happening in Texas and not Manhattan anymore, it does feel very separate while still maintaining that Yellowstone, everybody fell in love with but it was pretty easy to jump into this new mindset, especially with these new family members. It feels very different.

Was it intimidating/challenging to go toe-to-toe with Kelly, Cole, Ed, Annete, and the rest of this ensemble cast?

I wouldn't say that the word was "intimidating." I was definitely shaky the first day, because I am such a fan of all of theirs. Seeing them on set for the first time, they made everything feel so comfortable, and if you're obsessed with Kelly and Cole from Yellowstone and their characters, you would just die meeting them in person. They're the kindest people of all time, and also acting as executive producers on the show, they had such a major influence on our characters and where the show was going to end up. Anytime you step onto a new show, you have those first-time nerves, and having met with Ed and Annette, all of those nerves went out the window, seeing how incredible they are as humans.

How do you compare the role of Oreana to others you've played? Does a series like Dutton Ranch allow you to do things you wouldn't normally do?

I experienced just on shows, like I did two comic book shows where I played superheroes, and then I played a pop star. In the last show I did, I was kidnapped, so for me, I always try to find roles and tap into stuff that I haven't done before. Oreana is fiery, passionate, and being able to develop her as a real human was the most relatable character that I've ever played, even though she has this out-of-this-world personality. She's fiery; it all stems from this place of being a genuine human. So that's what I appreciated about playing her, and I feel like it's something that I hadn't really done before.

What was the most difficult aspect of production, or was there a scene that you had difficulty going through?

I think that the hardest part, and it's something that I adjusted to right away, but I'm half Canadian, and I'm from LA. I never experienced Texas summer heat before. The first scene that we filmed, it was in August in Fort Worth, and it was 4 a.m., and I had to go through three different pairs of pants because I was sweating so much. I was doing this scene where I got out of the car, and I'm screaming, so it was a very physical scene. Adjusting to the heat definitely took me a second. Once I was fine with just deciding that it was okay to sweat all my makeup off, then it was pretty easy. On this show, there are so many different physical aspects to so many of the scenes, and we just have the best stunt coordinators and the best actors who just roll with the punches, so even in the most difficult parts of the show, it was all still really fun.

What can you tell me about your upcoming film, Halloween Store, and what was it like working on that?

Oh my gosh! Halloween Store is my baby. That's a project that I started producing probably about a year ago, and it's a product that I worked with our director, Shane Dax Taylor, from the very beginning. It is a project we put together. Steven Schneider is the executive producer and one of my best friends, who did Insidious and Paranormal Activity, and then Kenan Thompson, who is just a comedy legend. It's very fun. We have an amazing cast with Simon Rex and Anthony Michael Hall, and it's an awesome project. It's scary and funny.

It's about kids that are trapped in a Halloween store on Halloween night and a serial killer on the loose. I'm a huge horror fan, and it's my love letter to horror. There are so many different, uh, references to different horror movies that I love. And being able to be on the creative side and develop this from the ground up is one of my favorite projects that I've ever had the opportunity to work on. I'm so excited for people to see it.

Paramount+'s Dutton Ranch, starring Juan Pablo Raba, J.R. Villarreal, and Marc Menchaca, streams new episodes on Fridays.

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