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For an actor, every day is like Halloween. But few have embraced the spirit of the holiday better than Natalie Alyn Lind, star of the latest Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch. Lind plays Oreana Lynn Jackson, the strong-willed daughter of local tough Rob-Will Jackson (Jai Courtney). But before joining Taylor Sheridan’s massive TV franchise, Lind also appeared in Gotham, The Gifted, and The Goldbergs. And one Halloween, she even played Art the Clown, the murderous mime from the Terrifier series.
All of those parts required some training, especially getting ready to be part of the rough and tumble world of Dutton Ranch.
“It was a whirlwind of an experience,” Lind tells Den of Geek. “I was sent the sides for the initial audition, and then they flew me to Texas. I was in Texas, did the screen test, and on the flight home, found out that I had booked it. They called and said, ‘You have a couple of days to pack up all your stuff, you’re going to Texas.’ I got off the plane and went straight to Cowboy Camp.
“I had this overwhelming sense of so many emotions, happiness and intimidation about being on a new show in a franchise people love so much. But it was all positive feelings, only the most excitement.”
Fun as it all is for her, one specific part of Cowboy Camp particularly stands out for Lind: cutting.
“Cutting is when you have a herd of cows, and you have to narrow one out. You have to go up to the cows and break one cow apart, and then you have to cut back and forth to make sure that he can’t leave that specific place,” she explains. “That was a lot of fun because it felt so interactive, kind of like a video game.”
As much fun as Lind had in Cowboy Camp, the excitement began even before she landed in Texas, back when she was offered the chance to join the world of Yellowstone.
“I was a massive fan. I’ve seen not only Yellowstone, but all of the prequels, all of the different versions,” she admits. “I’ve been a true believer in the show since day one.
“My amazing manager and team knew that I wanted to be in this universe because I’ve always found it fascinating. So when the opportunity came through, they knew it would be something I’d be excited to do.”
Through Cowboy Camp, Lind and her castmates learned how to go from fans who love the franchise to people who inhabit the world.
“On the Yellowstone franchise, they don’t just teach us things to look good on camera, they teach us these things to really know the skill. So my character never ropes on camera, but she might. Even though that was the biggest thing I struggled with, was roping.”
Certainly, the training helps reinforce the show’s verisimilitude. It also helps appease fans, a real concern for a show with a fanbase as large and committed as Dutton Ranch and its predecessor, Yellowstone. But Lind didn’t find the expectations surprising, or troubling.
“I love fan speculation. I’ve been on shows that are based in comic book worlds,” she says, citing her time in Batman and X-Men spinoffs. “It’s interesting to see what fans catch onto so fast.
“The fans of the Yellowstone universe are so intelligent that there have been many predictions that I’ve seen and know are accurate,” she teases. “This universe is fun to come into because there’s such an incredible fanbase. The fans are so passionate, and so kind. It can be kind of scary, like being the new kid in school, wondering if everyone’s going to like me. But it’s only been positive feedback.”
Lind’s experiences have been just as welcoming in front of the camera as they’ve been with the audience, especially when working alongside Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, veterans who have been with the franchise since the beginning.
“There is a moment of intimidation when you meet somebody that you feel like you’ve grown up with, but they’re so different than their characters,” Lind reveals. “They’re so kind and welcoming. They brought us in with open arms.
“Seeing the way they develop their characters over the last years into icons that are known worldwide, and seeing how they’re able to expand further on what they’ve done—it’s just awesome to watch.”
Working with franchises and discovering that the people who are scary on screen can be kind in real life comes in handy with Lind’s other obsession: horror movies.
“I just did my own horror movie, Halloween Store, and I’m happy to be part of that franchise, I hope it progresses into sequels,” she raves before talking about her favorite classic.
“When I was little, I had Michael Myers dolls instead of Barbie dolls, so I think Halloween would be a crazy franchise to be part of,” she enthuses—with one caveat. “I would want to be like Michael Myers.”
Thus far, she hasn’t had the chance to be the killer on screen, but she does get to play that part every year on October 31. “I always dress up as the craziest thing. I’m the opposite of a hot girl on Halloween. I’m like the weird little nerd in the corner,” she enthuses.
Of course, it also helps that Lind gets to work with make-up legend John Caglione Jr., who helped design the mobsters in Dick Tracy and Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight before coming to Dutton Ranch.
“He knew what a horror fan I was, so he reached out to Terrifer director Damien Leone, who sent me an actual prosthetic piece of Art the Clown from the movie. I was terrified to put it on, because you only get one shot with it. But I went as Art the Clown this Halloween, and that was one of my favorite moments, one of my favorite characters I played for one night.”
“I’m inspired by Damien because he does all the special effects and make-up in the films, and he does an incredible job. I look at all the detail in every single crease. There’s a part of me that didn’t want to put it on, because I wanted to frame it and put it on my wall.”
Lind’s passion for the genre also led her to produce Halloween Store and make it an ode to films past. “The movie is my love letter to horror. There are so many different references to old school horror films because, growing up, they were the thing that made me happy.
“And for me, growing up, they were the things that always used to make me happy. I guess I sound like a psychotic little kid, but even to this day, whenever I’m stressed out, I go to sleep watching horror movies. So I wanted Halloween Store to have references and images from some of my favorite movies. I’m really excited for horror fans to pick up on them.”
Where she wants horror fans to enjoy Halloween Store‘s connections to the past, Lind is excited for Yellowstone‘s audience to see how Dutton Ranch takes the franchise into the future.
“Dutton Ranch isn’t the same thing as Yellowstone,” Lind explains. “It’s a new story and a new perspective on the Duttons. So we in the cast wanted to bring our own kind of flair to it.”
And if there’s one thing Natalie Alyn Lind knows how to do, it’s bring a unique flair to a part, whether that’s causing trouble in Texas, running from Sentinels with other mutants, or just freaking people out on Halloween night.
Dutton Ranch streams new episodes every Friday on Paramount+.
The post Dutton Ranch: Natalie Alyn Lind on Becoming a Cowboy… and Art the Clown appeared first on Den of Geek.
