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‘Yellowstone’ Star Gator Shows You How to Make Turkey the Dutton Way

“Be advised: Watching Gator cook on the set of Yellowstone WILL make you hungry.” Paramount’s smash hit is once again putting the spotlight on Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau, chef-extraordinaire both on and off screen.

If you love Yellowstone (which, let’s face it, is why you’re here) then you love Gator. Gabriel Guilbeau plays chef for Paramount’s cowboys in front of and behind the camera. Audiences at home know him as the Dutton family cook, Gator. But he’s also feeding the entire cast and crew behind-the-scenes nearly 24-7.

“My name’s Gator, and I’m in charge of craft services. Moral support. Shoulders to cry on. Snackies,” the chef begins for Working the Yellowstone: ‘Gator-ing’. “I’m feeding cowboys on the camera and off the camera.”

There’s no shortage of love for what the Louisiana native does, either. “Gator is like a culinary Picasso,” offers co-star Jen Landon (Teeter). “Nobody cooks like Gator.”

“He is from Louisiana, and he brings all of that love into his cooking,” smile’s Monica Dutton’s Kelsey Asbille.

“He’s such a good guy, and such a character,” adds cowboy Ethan Lee (Ethan on Yellowstone). “I love him on and off set. If Gator’s cookin’, I’m going.”

“We have taken to calling him ‘Gatoring’ in leu of ‘catering,’” reveals Ryan’s Ian Bohen. “It is now a man with a truck that is open for business breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Snacks in-between. Crawfish etouffe,” you name it, the actor continues.

The Man, The Myth, The Legend: Gator

As for Gator himself, “My dad has done craft service for 27 years,” he cites. “He used to do big movies out in LA. I have a long history of cooks in the family, being that we’re real Cajuns.”

As much as any man alive, Gator’s blood runs thick with the glorious grease of Cajun cooking. Guilbeau’s grandmother was a renowned chef in Southern Louisiana. “So it just comes natural for us to feed people. It’s just what we do. I don’t know any other way.”

Gator began cooking professionally as soon as he got out of high school. The job? “Working on some super small, horrible, ice-cold movie in Baton Rouge, Louisiana,” he laughs. “I froze my butt off and worked my butt off, and said ‘I’m going to go get all my stuff!’ And I never turned back after that.”

His big introduction to audiences was the now infamous “grilled octopus” scene, a fan favorite to this day. This was Gator’s “first time on camera, ever,” too. “Baptism by fire, man.”

Gator’s Star of the Show? ‘Yellowstone’ Turkey

And it only got better from there. One of Gator’s all-time-favorite tools is his enormous smoker, which he uses to make Yellowstone turkey. For the show’s feature, he’s got “fifteen twenty-five-pound turkeys in there,” and they look glorious. For how to get these birds cookin’ the same way yourself, check out Yellowstone‘s full feature below.

Be advised: Watching Gator cook on the set of Yellowstone WILL make you hungry. In this behind-the-scenes look, brought to you by ZipRecruiter, Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau discusses his delicious role on the show. Yellowstone airs Sundays at 8/7c on Paramount Network.

Paramount Network