Kelly Reilly breathes life into Yellowstone‘s Beth Dutton with snark, sass, and a sultry attitude to put the cherry on top — or the salt around the rim.
Recommended VideosReilly is talented, passionate, and a significant player in the entertainment realm. From her beginnings in made-for-television films and theater acting to her role as John Dutton’s firey daughter in Yellowstone — she steals the show when she’s in a scene.
An actress with gumption, Reilly’s start in the entertainment business can be credited back to a passionate letter and a desire to take on acting as a career path. So, who is Reilly, and what kind of letter did she write? Let’s take a look.
Who is Kelly Reilly?
Kelly Reilly is an actress born in Chessington who had dreams of performing after having two great drama teachers in secondary school. Reilly felt she was good at it, making her want to press forward.
Reilly has continued acting since she wrote a letter at 16 to a producer of a popular series at the time. She’s done everything from theater to television and film acting, and she’s now one of the stars, and power players, in Paramount’s western drama Yellowstone.
Reilly remains largely private regarding her personal life, but she married Kyle Baugher in 2012, and she’s an animal lover, as her social media makes clear.
While she’s had several roles in entertainment, she’s most well-known for her current character: the feisty and firey Beth Dutton.
What was Kelly Reilly’s first role?
Reilly’s first role came to her after she wrote a letter to the producers of the series Prime Suspect and asked them for work on the series. Half a year later, Reilly tried out for an episode of the Prime Suspect 4: Inner Circle. In an interview with Netribution Film Network, Reilly said she had no idea where she got the courage at age 16 to go for it the way she did.
She then worked in theater in England for years before being cast in several shows and films like Dead Bodies, Bramwell, Wonderful You, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, Joe’s Palace, and Pride & Prejudice.
Reilly’s first breakout role was in Eden Lake, a horror film where she played a nursery school teacher named Jenny who visits a cabin in the woods with her boyfriend, Steve. What should be a relaxing and romantic getaway quickly turns violent as they meet a group of teenagers who seem to get pleasure from causing them an unnerving sense of fear.
The teenagers become increasingly violent as the movie continues, and we soon learn that they’re as maniacal as terrifying. Out for blood, Steve and Jenny are in a fight for their lives. If you’ve not yet seen Eden Lake, it’s a must-watch — and you’ll see the role that truly kick-started Reilly’s career.
Reilly is also well-known for her role in the Christian drama: Heaven Is For Real, based upon the book Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back, and the 2012 drama Flight. Sticking to her horror roots, she also starred in the 2021 horror film, The Cursed, 2013’s Innocence, and 2018’s 10×10.
Who is Reilly’s Beth Dutton?
Reilly stole the show in Yellowstone as Beth Dutton, daughter of patriarch John Dutton, and one of the most powerful to step foot on the ranch.
Beth doesn’t fit the mold in any sense of the phrase, which is why fans love her so much. When we first meet Beth, we see that she’s holding a lot of cards and making big moves. She’s a shark in the business world, ruthless in her dealings with people, and the only genuinely soft spot we know of her so far comes from the love she shares with (some of) her family and her beau, Rip Wheeler.
As Yellowstone picked up, we learned more about what makes Beth the strong woman she is, and it’s not a path paved in sunshine and roses. Beth has experienced a lot of pain, some of it at the hands of those that should have protected her. In her journey of healing, Beth also became protector as far as the ranch is concerned — further complicating any linear path to an easy life.
When you’re part of the family that inherited the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch, easy isn’t really a relatable word, but we have a soft spot for Dutton. The thing is, she’s not asking anyone to hold that space for her. Beth is tough, she’s feisty, and there’s a place on the ranch, and a person, which takes the weight off her shoulders for a little while.
Those all caught up with Yellowstone know that Beth was married in the finale of season 4, and while her love for Rip Wheeler is the most natural thing in her life, it was a layered decision.
Season 5 will bring them a lot of joy, magic, and love — but it will also carry a lot of fight, and they’ll have to partner together to face it.
What is next for Reilly?
Reilly’s role as Beth Dutton will (fingers crossed) continue for the duration of the series, and we’ll be seeing a lot more of the Dutton family soon.
She’s also taken on work outside of Yellowstone and stars in a drama called Promises, based on the book of the same name by Amanda Sthers. The idea of the movie follows an “unfulfilled love affair” between Alexander and Laura (Reilly). Sthers spoke with Variety and said it took three years to write the novel, Promises and five additional years to adapt it for a screenplay.
She also shared more about the plot in the same interview, calling the project, “this great unfulfilled love story that you could have experienced if only you’d turned left instead of right.”
Promises debuted in late 2021 at the Rome Film Festival.
You can see Reilly in the first four seasons of Yellowstone, streaming now on Peacock, and you’ll want to do your re-watch of the series soon. Season 5 of the hit television show kicks off on Nov. 13 on Paramount, and it will be a wild ride.
ncG1vNJzZmivlZy8tcDHoqqcp6aav6awjZympmeemsS0e9ahpmaho2K4prjLsmSrnZmhubp5x56pnqtdrLWmvsRmsKitppp6tLHEp2SynZyhvLi%2F06ilnqtdl7K1tI4%3D