Dave Annable Opens Up About His Short-Lived ‘Yellowstone’ Role: ‘Once a Dutton, Always a Dutton’

Dave Annable made a lasting impression on Yellowstone fans, despite only appearing in the series premiere. The actor exclusively tells Life & Style about his experience after being killed off in episode 1.

“I mean, I did [know I was going to die],” Dave, 44, said on the red carpet at the iHeartCountry festival on Saturday, May 4. “But I didn't know how much fun I'd have, like going to cowboy camp. I was like, wait a second, I don't want to die. This is, this is amazing.”

“You know, and then, of course, it goes on to be the No. 1 show on the planet,” he laughed. Dave’s wife, Odette Annable, chimed in saying that, despite his short-lived stint in Montana, “a lot of gifts came from it.”

Dave continued, “I feel so lucky to be a part of that and such a special little, you know, part of, of Yellowstone. You know, once a Dutton, always a Dutton.”

While Dave was cast as John Dutton’s favorite son, Lee Dutton, in the Taylor Sheridan drama, his character was killed off in the pilot episode. He later returned to reprise his role in a couple flashback’s through the years.

“I read the script and fell in love with it, but there was this other thing that I was supposed to do, and I ended up passing, saying the timing wasn’t going to work,” the Brothers and Sisters alum previously dished to The Hollywood Reporter. “And [Sheridan] called back and was like, ‘What are you an idiot? You need to come out here.’ So, of course, I listened, and any chance you get to work with Taylor Sheridan and Kevin Costner [is great]. … It was just one of the best life experiences that I’ve ever had. And to have that on such a high-level project was really special.”

Dave recently reunited with his former Yellowstone costars Luke Grimes, Ian Bohen and Jen Landon at the StageCoach music festival in California.

“Sometimes it just all comes together…Perfect weekend. Perfect. Thank you @yellowstone, @101studiosco, @paramountplus and @stagecoach for making this one of the best weekends wifey and I could ask for,” he captioned a series of photos from the weekend, shared via Instagram on May 1. “Thank you to all the fans that came by to say hi. Country music, old friends, new friends, tequila, and no kids (yes, I love them) were exactly what the doctor ordered. Yee Haw #stagecoach.”