PEORIA MAGAZINE August 2023

PLAYING IN PEORIA

MAKING THE HARD WORK OF ACTING LOOK EASY Yellowstone star Cole Hauser didn’t arrive on horseback in Peoria, but he’s had lots of practice, at that and at showing up for good causes

BY PHIL LUCIANO PHOTOS BY MIKE BAILEY

T o make things look easy, you’ve got to work hard. Just ask Cole Hauser, the longtime actor known best these days as Rip Wheeler, the rough and tumble ranch foreman in the series Yellowstone . On screen, he rides and ropes like a legit horseman – and he is, thanks to endless hours of practice put in behind the scenes. He relies on horse-riding ethics he learned as a kid out West. “I grew up that way, working hard,” said Hauser, 48. He recently appeared in Peoria for a fundraiser for WTVP, Greater Peoria Honor Flight and OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois. The Moss Avenue event drew about 200 guests clad in cowboy boots and Western gear, in a nod to the Yellowstone star. But he almost lost the chance to do

the series. As Hauser learned, acting (and horse riding) can be back-breaking work – literally. Born in Santa Barbara, California, Hauser grew up riding horses on relatives’ ranches there and in Oregon and Montana. That experience helped him years later as an actor. Just before joining Yellowstone for its 2018 debut season, Hauser filmed the movie The Last Champion , for which he had to ride a horse. During production, he tumbled from his mount, breaking his back. “Well,” he quietly said in humble acknowledgement, “I just fractured it.” The painful accident left Hauser worried he might not be ready for Yellowstone , as Rip spends much of his ranch time atop a horse. Hauser patiently worked his body back into shape, gradually intensifying his time

in the saddle, enough to be ready for the show. Meantime, he kept working on his horsemanship, to the point he can focus on acting without giving riding a second thought. He credits countless hours of off-camera training. “The crew helps a lot,” Hauser said.

“It’s a great crew.” ‘HE IS SUCH A WONDERFUL PERSON. HE WAS SO SWEET TO US BOTH’

— Maria DiMaso He sounds as grateful as his devoted fans, including those who showed up for the Peoria fundraiser. The throng included two women – Linda DiMaso, 75, and daughter Maria DiMaso, 45 —

88 JULY 2023 PEORIA MAGAZINE