Joining the Yellowstone universe is a singular experience for most actors on the show. On one hand, the people who have been with the script since day one (or close to it)—Kelly Reilly (Beth Dutton), Cole Hauser (Rip Wheeler), Luke Grimes (Kayce Dutton), and Finn Little (Carter)—had little clue about just how impactful landing their roles would be. On the other hand, newcomers like Natalie Alyn Lind (Oreana Jackson) can hardly believe their luck to be joining such a legendary storyline and to be among the trusted actors helping bring a new narrative to life on Dutton Ranch.
“We're just trying to bring a new modern twist on cowboy culture, and that's what the original Yellowstone did so well,” Natalie tells Country Living, admitting that she’s been a loyal fan of the Yellowstone universe for years. “So for me, as a fan, being able to go through and read these scripts—it went in so many different places that I never thought it would—so being able to read them feels so bizarre, because you're in this tiny little bubble filming for six months, and it feels so personal. I'm just so excited for people to love these characters the way that I do.”
Ahead, Natalie reflects on landing her dream role, how she approaches portraying Oreana, the characteristics she hopes to adopt from the experience, and more.
***WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD***
On Playing Oreana Jackson
The moment Oreana Jackson is introduced to viewers in episode one—fresh off a fiery fight with her boyfriend—it’s hard not to view her as a Gen Z Beth Dutton, and Carter as her young Rip. And Natalie couldn’t be more excited to fill the role.
“For me, coming in as this character, she's very fashion-focused, and she's crazy, and she's not afraid to say anything that she's thinking—she can walk into a room and dominate attention; and playing a character like that is just so exhilarating,” she shares.
Natalie also finds it incredibly fulfilling to bring not only a modern cowboy story to life but also a refreshed Romeo and Juliet tale in the American West. “Specifically with Carter, the two of them could not be more different; they come from different backgrounds,” she says. “It really does show that sometimes opposites attract, and she sees something in him that she's never seen before; she sees an authentic person who is so genuine and cares, and is really looking out for her.”
As much as Natalie loves how Oreana and Carter’s bond is forming and growing in the show, she’s equally as enthralled with how her character is developing. “I think that Oreana is a character who is constantly searching for attention and love because she's not necessarily getting it from home,” she explains. “The Jacksons are very complicated; there are a lot of different family flaws. So, it's really fun to watch the entire series play out with all of these different relationships—everybody in the Dutton family had their own personal identity, and it's the same way with the Jacksons; everybody kind of does their own thing and has their own storylines, and when we come together as a family, it's so chaotic.”
On Her Approach to Playing Oreana
Whenever Natalie lands a new role, she homes in on the character’s psychology to perform as authentically as possible. “That's the number one thing for me: figuring out where their mindset is placed,” she shares. “For Oreana, she comes off as kind of crazy and out there, and she's definitely… free-spirited, is a very nice way to put it—just like Beth.”
As similar as their characters are, Natalie wanted to ensure that her character had depth and the opportunity for, and trajectory toward, growth (something that some fans complain Beth didn’t have in Yellowstone). “I wanted this character to not just be kind of erratic and wild,” Natalie shares. “It all comes from a place of wanting to be accepted and loved, and Oreana has so many demons that she's fighting herself, so I wanted everything to feel very real, and I want her to, even though she's not necessarily the most relatable character, I want people to be able to pull from her and see that she has this very sensitive side to her.”
That was the challenge of playing Oreana, someone who initially comes off as confident to a fault. “It's so easy to play a b*tch—and there are two different kinds of b*tches, I guess: There is a b*tch that is just angry at the world, and then there's somebody that's kind of reaching out for attention and wanting love, and I want people to love this character,” Natalie says. “She's so fun to play—there are so many different dark and crazy places that she goes, but she's also just a really good time.”
On Adopting Oreana’s Confidence in Real Life
When asked which of Oreana’s traits she wished she could embody authentically in real life, Natalie was quick to answer. “I just wish that I had her confidence,” she admits. “I think that her confidence is the thing that people are going to absolutely love. When I got the script originally, I was already obsessed with her, and I just felt such a connection to her from day one. And the moment that I put my cowboy boots on and I'm on set, I just feel all of her confidence and all of her power, and it's such an empowering feeling.”
While one might think that Natalie has every reason to be unshakably confident off-set, the 25-year-old actress admits that she’s only human. “There are levels to it; there are so many different ups and downs, and you have to create a thick skin,” she reveals. “I am learning from Oreana every single day; throughout the season, you're going to see what a transition she makes and how much my character develops from episode one to nine, which is such a blessing.”
As we patiently wait for all nine episodes to air, Natalie is maintaining her mission to become as confident as Oreana. “Here's the thing: Confidence is something that comes from within, and sometimes you kind of have to fake it until you make it,” she says. “Being able to just walk out [on set as Oreana] and wear whatever you want or say whatever you want, it's so empowering.” And it’s something Natalie is working to allow herself to realize and practice every day. “I am getting better at it, and I am learning from her,” she shares.
On Her Next Dream Role
Landing Dutton Ranch still feels surreal to Natalie, but that’s not stopping her from pushing her limits and dreaming even bigger. Her next dream role? Something far-fetched and out of the box—a role to really bend her boundaries and redefine her reach.
“Every role that I play, I try to do something a little bit different, but I'm at this point wanting to go, like, full Girl with the Dragon Tattoo—completely opposite from anything that I've played before,” she says. “I'm just the type of person who, if I'm obsessed with the character, I'm not afraid to shave my head and just completely dive into it. So I think that whatever the next project is, it's not that I necessarily am looking for something specific; I'm just really wanting to test myself and push boundaries and see how far I can go into something that I've never done before—that's what I try to do with every project, but specifically after this, I think that it's going to be really fun to try something that I haven't before.”
On Stepping Into a Producer Role
Natalie doesn’t solely have her sights set on acting roles, though—she’s making her foray into producing, too. “I'm a huge horror fan; I've done a couple horror projects, and I'm producing a horror movie right now—we're almost done editing the trailer, and posters are going to be coming out soon,” she shares. “Stepping into the producer side of this, it's really interesting to see all the backbones and how much work it takes to put a production like this together, and being able to understand that from a different perspective has been such a blessing.”
Halloween Store is executive produced by Natalie, Simon Rex, Keenan Thompson, and Stephen Schneider, and directed by Shane Dax Taylor. The campy horror-comedy has yet to announce a release date, but it remains a project Natalie couldn’t be prouder of. “I am such a horror nerd; I'm obsessed with anything horror,” Natalie reveals. “When I was little, I didn't have Barbie dolls; I had Michael Meyer dolls. So this is something that I feel so rooted in and familiar with, and this movie is definitely my love letter to horror.” As for what to expect? 2000s-esque horror à la Scary Movie. “There are so many different references to old-school horror; I wanted to make a project that was really fun,” Natalie says. “Genuinely, I want people to have a fun time watching it, and I want families to be able to watch it—not little kids, but families; [I hope] that people come together and feel that nostalgic feeling.”
To stay up to date on all of Natalie’s projects, from Dutton Ranch to Halloween Store, follow her on Instagram @natalynlind.
