“Dutton Ranch” is a high-profile “Yellowstone” spinoff, but Annette Bening, a new addition to Taylor Sheridan’s universe, has been stealing every scene she’s been in. Bening plays Beulah Jackson, a larger-than-life Texas businesswoman who owns and operates 10 Petal Ranch along with her family. But this matriarch isn’t afraid to make some tough decisions, and it’s clear she’ll butt heads with our heroes, Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser), as they try to navigate business on her turf.
Bening spoke with Variety about perfecting every aspect of Beulah, from her accent to her wardrobe to the internal drama that makes her such a compelling character.
How did the opportunity to join the “Yellowstone” universe come about?
Well, they called me up and said, “Would you like us to tell you the story and what we’re envisioning?” So I said, “Sure, why not?” I had watched “Yellowstone.” I thought it was pretty smashing. So I knew that it was Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser, and they told me the story that they were going to be unfolding as well with Ed Harris. They got me intrigued, and I thought, “Beulah, she’s interesting.” She’s a rancher, but she’s longing for love as she wants to keep everything together, which she is unable to do, which is why the show happens. A lot of things are falling apart and crackling inside of her. There’s an ache and longing inside of her, which I found interesting to explore. So it got me intrigued about the adventure.
What was your process for developing Beulah beyond the script?
I was lucky. I was able to go to Fort Worth, and there was a particular woman that I met who is a rancher, who took me in and showed me around. Then I started listening to different accents and different people, and I got into this wonderful Texas journalist named Molly Ivins, who was a very progressive, wonderful character. She became quite famous because she was from Texas, and it was during the era of George Bush. She has passed away, but she wrote a lot, and she also had this wonderful accent. She was friends with Ann Richards, who was the governor of Texas, who I also listened to a lot. So I cooked all this up and then spent a lot of time talking with our showrunner, Chad Feehan, about the history, because this woman has a history with her dad and the legacy of the ranch and the history of the ranch itself, which is very much grounded in real Texas, how ranches started out and who those people were and how many of these families have continued into the present.
How did you work on perfecting your accent?
I’m doing a lot of listening. That’s always the most powerful part. I was somewhat familiar with it, but I think that, especially now, regional accents are changing so much because we’re all beginning to sound like each other everywhere in the world. In Texas, some people sound very strong, other people sound very mild. So I worked that out in terms of how far to go and what that sound might be like. It felt natural to me and right for the character. It was a wonderful research exploration.
Your wardrobe on the show is really dynamic. What was the process like for landing on the correct outfits?
It was a process of learning on my part, because they were showing me the level of bling, and we didn’t even go as far as we could have gone, which is true for not all, but many women in Texas. Many ranchers, it’s only when they go to the rodeo or when they have a party, and then other people, it’s a daily thing. You’ve got the turquoise and the diamonds and the fringe and the sequins and all the stuff. So I enjoyed all of that. As we got further into it, I understood how normal it is. It’s just a part of the culture there, and I love it.
You have such firecracker energy when you’re working with Kelly and Cole onscreen. What was your process of integrating yourself into their world?
I began to see how this was all going to play out with Ed Harris playing Everett, with who my sons were, who my granddaughter was, who Beth and Rip were. I became part of this group. That’s where you begin to kind of feel it out and see where you are in that. Of course, I’m trying to mine the stuff that I’ve been given, and I make it as full and as interesting as I can. So that all felt pretty organic.
What was shooting in Texas like, and how did it influence your process?
It was a joy, because often we are shooting in places where we’re not supposed to be. We’re in England and we’re shooting for Los Angeles, or Australia for Los Angeles. So we’re shooting where we are supposed to be, although Southern Texas is more what we are supposed to be, and we’re in Fort Worth. But we were in Fort Worth. So this was a joy to be able to be outside and be out in the ranch world and in the fresh air. It gets very hot, it gets very cold, it’s windy. I actually love that and love being out of the city centers and getting right into the middle of the country. Just from a personal standpoint, that was also joyful for me, living in this other environment and getting steeped into it and feeling it out.
What can you tease about Beulah’s journey this season?
I think the journey is one of increasing desperation, to tell you the truth. She’s trying to hold everything together: the family, the well-being of her children and her granddaughter, her relationship with Everett. The journey is one of trying to hold together something that is falling apart. Her level of vulnerability and desperation increases as the story goes on.
You’ve had so many iconic roles, but is there a project you’ve made in the past that maybe didn’t get the reception you hoped it would, and think it’s due for a cultural reappraisal?
I’ve made films that mean so much to me that very, very few people saw. I made a movie called “Mother and Child” with Rodrigo García that I just adore — that process and the film and everything. It’s funny that some things catch people’s imagination and others don’t, and I’m okay with that. I’ve learned that the experience is what it is, and no one can ever take that from me. I certainly love that film, and people who have seen it do talk to me about it, and I’ve had amazing experiences of people who’ve watched it and who have approached me about it. Other films that are better known, I’ve also connected with people on and that never gets old. That means so much to me.