For four seasons now, we’ve watched “Yellowstone” star Jefferson White perfect the character of Jimmy Hurdstrom, newbie cowboy.
And though it’s been wonderful for the actor to see his character grow, White explained to Entertainment Tonight what his favorite part of playing the character has been. Apparently, White values all the knowledge he’s gained about the Western world and the skills he’s learned in it.
“My favorite part of working on the show and my favorite part of playing Jimmy is just getting to spend time in this world that I might never have otherwise gotten to know,” White began telling ET.
“The western world, cowboying, ranching, it’s a sort of lifetime pursuit. Its a kind of entire world unto itself,” White continued. “And if not for ‘Yellowstone,’ I might’ve never had the opportunity to spend time on horses, to spend time in the rodeo world, the ranching world. And that’s been an incredible gift.”
The “Yellowstone” star grew up in Iowa and now lives in Brooklyn, New York when he’s not on set. But living in the midwest isn’t the same as living the life of a cowboy or rancher out west. There are different skills that one picks up when it’s just them and the wilderness.
But White also applauded his fellow cast members and the crew behind the scenes. He learned just as much from them as he did about the Western world in general.
‘Yellowstone’ Star Jefferson White Loved Learning From ‘Geniuses’ While Playing Jimmy
In addition to learning about ranching and cowboying, “Yellowstone” star Jefferson White also picked up some great tips and tricks about the entertainment industry from his coworkers. Big-time actors like Kevin Costner taught him a thing or two, as well as showrunners like Taylor Sheridan.
“[Another] favorite part of working on the show is the opportunity to learn about acting from the brilliant actors on the show. To learn about writing and directing from Taylor,” White explained. “Because obviously, a sort of myth onto himself, Taylor is writing his own legend right now. He’s an incredible, sort of mythic figure in American television right now.”
Combined together, “Yellowstone” provided a learning opportunity that you can’t just get from acting school. White picked up lifelong lessons that he’ll take with him wherever he goes. Whether that’s in the world of acting or in the world of cowboys. Or just the real world in general.
“Being surrounded by these brilliant creatives and also being surrounded by these brilliant cowboys, and ranchers, and animal wranglers, and stunt performers,” White concluded. “My favorite part of it is just getting to learn from all these geniuses.”
Make sure you check out White’s full interview with ET in the video below.
