Beth Dutton, a protagonist on the hit television series “Yellowstone” is tough as nails and she has the scars to prove it.
Beth, however, does not feel shame due to her scares and in fact — quite the opposite. The “Yellowstone” queen wears her scars with pride as if they are badges for her bravery. It is the job of “Yellowstone” makeup artist Abigail Steele to ensure that the scarring on Beth’s body tells a story. Steele says the scar underneath Beth’s eye is of special significance.
“It had to be slight enough that even with the nuance of her expression, that it would move with her face like a real scar would,” Steele says. “It had to be slight enough that even with the nuance of her expression, that it would move with her face like a real scar would.”
The “Yellowstone” makeup artist certainly has the admiration of Kelly Reilly, the actress portraying Beth Dutton. She says Beth’s scars bring out a level of beauty that can sometimes go unsee
“There’s such dignity in Beth,” Reilly says. “She doesn’t really talk about what happened to her.”
Through four “Yellowstone” seasons, Beth has proven to be indestructible. Many have tried to take her out and all have failed at this mission. “Yellowstone” fans were relieved when the first episode of season four reveals Beth is alive and well. She survived an exploding bomb that was planted in her office and detonated just a few feet from her. While she lives through the vicious attack, Beth is heavily scarred on various parts of her body, including her face and back. It isn’t just the recent bomb attack that has scarred Beth for life. She suffers injuries in several seasons, including at the hands of the Beck brothers in season two.
‘Yellowstone’ Makeup Artist Goes In-depth on Creating Scars
Steele also notes that Reilly wore a couple of iterations of the scarred skin through the fourth “Yellowstone” season. She goes a little deeper into the thought process behind the makeup process.
“It did change size five times, so we had five different versions of it,” she says. “And it was just beautiful, and even into season four, it wasn’t a piece she wore but a color.”
With another season of the modern western drama on the way, it is a safe bet that Beth Dutton has not yet finished collecting scars. Steele is certainly up to the challenge of telling a story through makeup and design. Reilly is also ready for the challenge of a new season and to keep developing Beth into the character she is meant to be.
“It’s the emotional scars that took a long time to heal,” the actress says. “I think Beth this season has sort of an invincible quality to her.”
