The “Yellowstone” universe has expanded at a truly astonishing rate over the past few years. What began as nothing more than a Kevin Costner-led neo-Western TV series has ballooned into a full-blown, ever-expanding franchise. Indeed, not only has “Yellowstone” continued to tell its original, present-day story, but fans have also been treated to not just one but two prequels so far. Additionally, while some new viewers may not know what the best order is to watch the franchise’s spin-off shows, “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan has gone out of his way to bridge all of its various entries together as intricately as he can.
His efforts to do so have resulted in certain characters being connected by the thinnest of threads or most distant familial relationships. Sheridan has, in other words, done a surprisingly strong job of making sure that the “Yellowstone” universe isn’t filled with too many unexplained moments or narrative inconsistencies. That said, one thing he hasn’t tried to do is stop certain actors from playing multiple roles in the franchise. As a matter of fact, at least five actors to date have been given the chance to portray more than one character in the “Yellowstone” universe, including Sheridan himself.
Here’s what you should know about the performers in question and the roles they’ve had in what has quickly become one of TV’s most popular franchises.
Taylor Sheridan
That’s right. The first actor on this list is none other than “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan.
In the years since “Yellowstone” premiered in 2018, Sheridan has appeared in eight of its episodes as Travis Wheatley, a Texas cowboy who makes a living selling horses to ranches like the one owned by the Duttons. “Yellowstone” viewers will likely remember Travis best for the Season 4 storyline that sees him escort Jimmy Hurdstram (Jefferson White) to the Four Sixes Ranch. A longtime rodeo man, Travis has never had a major narrative presence on “Yellowstone,” but Sheridan has nonetheless made a lasting impression as the character.
The same can be said for Sheridan’s two-episode turn as Charles Goodnight on “1883.” Based on a real-life rancher of the same name, Sheridan’s Charles is a former Texas Ranger who helps his friend, Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott), take down a group of cattle thieves. Sheridan, notably, chose to don a completely different look for Charles than the one he’s adopted as Travis. It’d be understandable if viewers hadn’t noticed that the two characters were played by the same actor because Sheridan sports a full beard as Charles, which visually separates the character from the clean-shaven Travis.
Sheridan, to his credit, hasn’t felt the need to take up too much of the spotlight as either character. That has, in turn, made it easier for him to blend in with the other actors on “Yellowstone” and “1883,” though some viewers may still inevitably have questions about his characters’ similar appearances.
James Jordan
James Jordan has a long history with Taylor Sheridan. The actor famously played the villainous, cowardly Pete Mickens in Sheridan’s 2017 feature directorial debut, “Wind River,” and the two must have gotten along well on the set of that film. Sheridan later hired Jordan to play Steve Hendon on “Yellowstone,” an agent for the Montana Livestock Association who has appeared in 12 episodes of the show since he made his debut in Season 2.
Steve isn’t the only “Yellowstone” universe character that Jordan has played. He also portrayed Cookie on the “Yellowstone” prequel spin-off, “1883.” A straightforward, gruff cook, Cookie is ultimately more concerned with maintaining his safety than looking out for the other members of the Texas-Oregon Caravan. His selfishness leads him to make a critical mistake that not only results in his demise but also the deaths of many others. Cookie, therefore, fits in well with some of the other characters that Jordan has portrayed for Sheridan.
Outside of the “Yellowstone” universe, Jordan has also had recurring roles on two of Sheridan’s other TV efforts, “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Special Ops: Lioness.” He appears in Sheridan’s 2021 Angelina Jolie-led thriller, “Those Who Wish Me Dead,” as well. Considering all of that, it seems safe to assume that Jordan’s creative partnership with Sheridan will likely continue for the foreseeable future. Whether or not that means he’ll end up playing any more roles in the “Yellowstone” universe remains to be seen.
Martin Sensmeier
Martin Sensmeier has a brief but noteworthy role in “Yellowstone” Season 2 as a physical therapist named Martin who takes on Monica Dutton (Kelsey Asbille) as a client. Throughout their time together, Martin and Monica grow increasingly close and their bond eventually becomes a romantic one. They don’t end up together, though, as Monica ultimately chooses to leave her affair with Martin behind in favor of staying with her husband, Kayce (Luke Grimes).
Sensmeier’s “Yellowstone” character hasn’t appeared again on the show since his Season 2 exit. That doesn’t mean, however, that the actor’s presence in the “Yellowstone” universe has been limited to his five-episode role in the franchise’s eponymous show. On the contrary, Taylor Sheridan chose to reunite with Sensmeier when he cast him as Sam on “1883.” A formidable Comanche warrior, Sam crosses paths with the members of the show’s central wagon train and, after coming to an agreement with its leaders, forms a powerful romantic bond with Elsa Dutton (Isabel May).
The two eventually agree to marry each other, but their romance is cut short when Elsa parts ways with him to help her family finish their journey and then dies before getting back to him. Sam’s story, consequently, mirrors Martin’s on “Yellowstone” in an interesting way. In both cases, Sensmeier has played a man whose romance with a female member of the Dutton family ends in an unfortunately bittersweet fashion.
Dawn Olivieri
Dawn Olivieri made her “Yellowstone” universe debut when she appeared as Claire Dutton, the sister of James Dutton (Tim McGraw), in the first two episodes of “1883.” A strict mother driven by her own all-consuming sense of pride, Claire initially agrees to travel to the American West with her brother and his family. Her righteousness and unfiltered rage, however, eventually catch up with her and lead to the horrifying death of her daughter. This tragic twist of fate pushes Claire past the point of no return, ending her story in a shockingly premature fashion.
Coming off her turn as Claire, Olivieri was brought back to the “Yellowstone” universe by Taylor Sheridan when she was cast as Sarah Atwood on the franchise’s parent show. A major player in “Yellowstone” Season 5, Sarah is a corporate agent sent to Montana to remedy a conflict between the state and the company she’s paid to represent. Whilst there, Sarah strikes up a relationship with Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley). In doing so, she puts herself in the middle of Jamie’s feud with the other members of his family.
Between her performance as Claire on “1883” and her turn as Sarah in “Yellowstone” Season 5, Olivieri has quickly become one of the most recognizable and memorable new additions to the “Yellowstone” universe.
Nichole Galicia
Nichole Galicia’s first appearance in the “Yellowstone” universe comes in Episode 1 of “1883.” She appears briefly in the spin-off’s premiere installment as Guinevere, a sex worker at a popular saloon in Fort Worth, Texas. Guinevere’s screen time in the “1883” episode is limited, but Galicia’s brief turn as the character is noteworthy largely because she isn’t the only figure in the “Yellowstone” universe that the actor has played.
Galicia also plays Charlotte Riley, a defense attorney hired to represent Summer Higgins (Piper Perabo) after the environmental activist lands herself in some serious legal trouble, in two episodes of “Yellowstone” Season 4. As is the case with James Jordan, Galicia’s roles on “Yellowstone” and “1883” don’t represent the only times that she’s worked with Taylor Sheridan, either.
The actor has also appeared in a recurring capacity as Rebecca on Sheridan’s Jeremy Renner-led Paramount+ drama, “Mayor of Kingstown.” Taking that into account, she seems to have landed herself a comfortable place within the “Yellowstone” creator’s growing stable of favorite actors. After all, she’s one of only a select number of performers who have gotten to play multiple characters in the “Yellowstone” universe.
