The Woman HBO Hated: Kelly Reillys Breakout Role as Beth Dutton on Yellowstone

Taylor Sheridan, the creator and executive producer of the hit show Yellowstone, has revealed that HBO was not a fan of Kelly Reilly’s character Beth Dutton when he first pitched the series to the network. Sheridan, who also co-created the spin-offs 1883 and Yellowstone: 4-6-6-6, told The Hollywood Reporter that HBO was reluctant to give Yellowstone a series order for several reasons, one of them being Reilly’s portrayal of Beth, the ruthless and mercurial daughter of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. “They hated Beth,” Sheridan said. “They hated her. They said she was too mean. They said she was too this, too that. They said she was unlikable.” Sheridan said he disagreed with HBO’s assessment of Beth, who has become one of the most popular and complex characters on television. He said he wanted to write a female antihero who was unapologetic and fearless in a man’s world. “I said, ‘She’s not unlikable. She’s complicated. She’s damaged. She’s brilliant. She’s funny. She’s all these thin