Cole Hauser struggled with 106-degree Texas heat filming Dutton Ranch

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• Quick Facts
• The Texas Heat Challenge
• More Than Just the Heat
• A New Challenge for Rip Wheeler
  • Sources

Cole Hauser faced significant challenges filming the Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch in Texas, battling extreme heat that reached 106 degrees during the opening week of production. The actor struggled to maintain his physical condition while working on the new series, which premiered on Paramount+ on May 15 and follows his character Rip Wheeler and Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton as they relocate from Montana to Rio Paloma, Texas.

The Texas Heat Challenge

When Dutton Ranch production kicked off, director Christina Alexandra Voros confirmed the brutal conditions. “It was around 106 degrees for the first week that we were shooting,” she told PEOPLE at the premiere. The heat only intensified as summer progressed. Hauser revealed in an exclusive interview with TV Insider that temperatures climbed even higher. “It’s no joke. I’m in all-black wearing a beaver skin hat and it’s 118 degrees in July and August,” he said. “I lost weight. The crew, the actors, we’re not sitting in trailers, we’re a working real ranch. I’m working my ass off.”

The actor, who typically gains about 25 pounds to play the imposing ranch foreman, found it nearly impossible to maintain that physical presence in the sweltering Texas environment. “I was trying to keep weight on,” Hauser told PEOPLE. “I mean, I usually put on about 25 pounds, but it was hard to keep it on. I was sweating it out.” The extreme conditions affected the entire cast and crew, who worked outdoors on an active ranch rather than on controlled soundstages.

More Than Just the Heat

The Texas filming location brought unexpected environmental obstacles beyond temperature. During the eight-month production schedule across North Texas—including shoots in Ferris, Boyd, Cleburne, Grandview, Weatherford, Dallas, and Rio Vista—crews encountered a massive snake problem. Cole Hauser revealed that snake wranglers caught approximately 3,400 rattlesnakes throughout the shoot. At one location, production reportedly had to shut down after crews discovered 40 to 50 snakes in a single area, forcing the team to bring in specialized handlers to clear the site.

Despite these obstacles, Voros praised the resilience of everyone involved. “We finished the show in March and we got shut down for four days because of an ice storm. So we had every weather emoji over the course of shooting this,” she explained. “Our crew is really intrepid. Our cast is really intrepid. We got through all of it, but it wasn’t easy.”

A New Challenge for Rip Wheeler

Beyond the physical toll of filming conditions, Hauser embraced the character transformation required for Dutton Ranch. Unlike the dominant position Rip held on the Montana ranch in Yellowstone, the spinoff places him and Beth in unfamiliar territory. “For Rip, it’s like putting him on the moon,” Hauser said. “The cowboy culture is different. He’s got to evolve. We all had to adapt and find a way to get along in this new world.” The series also marked a shift in his creative involvement, as Hauser and Reilly both serve as executive producers on the show, adding another layer of responsibility during an already demanding production schedule.

Sources

• PEOPLE Magazine — Cole Hauser’s exclusive interview about heat challenges and weight loss while filming Dutton Ranch
• TV Insider — Cole Hauser’s detailed account of 118-degree temperatures and working conditions on set
• Director Christina Alexandra Voros (PEOPLE) — Confirmation of 106-degree opening week heat and overall production challenges
• USA Today — Reporting on eight-month filming timeline and snake wrangling efforts in North Texas
• WFAA / Fox News — Details on 3,400 rattlesnakes caught during production