Jen Landon Is Keeping Up With the Cowboys on ‘Yellowstone’ — Read All About the Life and Career of ‘Teeter’
Those familiar with the Dutton Ranch are most certainly familiar with Teeter — the rough-around-the-edges, foul-mouthed female ranch hand who keeps up with the boys at the Yellowstone ranch with ease. The pink-haired firecracker is brought to life by 40-year-old actress Jen Landon, daughter to Hollywood royalty Michael Landon, known for roles in revered series like Little House on the Prairie and Bonanza.
But the California-born actress is more than just her father’s daughter — she’s become a scene stealer in her own right. Here, get to know Jen Landon or “Teeter” — one of our favorite fierce females to grace the Yellowstone screen!
Jen Landon’s early career
Jen Landon’s very first role was alongside her father in an episode of Highway to Heaven. In a conversation with Smashing Interviews, Landon talked about connecting with her late father even after he’s passed: “When I was little, it took me a while to realize he was really famous. I had no idea. In a weird way, there’s something mysterious about the person. I know all parents are mysterious to their children, but I feel like people who are in the public eye have this kind of elusive quality.”
“So in a weird way, it’s weird to me that I get to feel close to him the same way that somebody who has never met him would that’s turning on the TV.” She continued, “That’s how I do it as well. I do it the same way that anybody who really adored him does it.”
Outside of her father’s shadow, Jen Landon was making her own name. In 2005, Landon took on perhaps her most significant role in the highly popular soap opera As the World Turns, where she appeared in almost 500 episodes and even won three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Younger Actress in a Drama Series.
Later roles came in series including The Young and the Restless, Banshee, Days of Our Lives, Chicago Med, FBI: Most Wanted and Animal Kingdom before landing her pivotal role of Teeter in Yellowstone.
Landon’s role of ‘Teeter’ on Yellowstone
Since taking on Teeter, Jen Landon has managed to fully embody the one-of-a-kind character. From the swagger to the accent only she could pull off, you can’t think Yellowstone without thinking Teeter.
“I got two pages to read for Yellowstone. It’s the first scene Teeter does in the show, and there was a character description along with it. I can’t remember it exactly, but even separate from that, all of Teeter’s dialogue is written phonetically,” Landon described her first shot at Yellowstone in an interview with Decider.
“My prep is always a little different for everything, but for that audition, I looked at a lot of photos of female cowgirls and female ranchers for two hours until I just sort of felt something in my body.” And it’s no surprise she did. Landon grew up around a lot of animals, and she even took an acting sabbatical where she went and lived on a cattle ranch in Montana.
Nailing Teeter’s signature accent
If you’ve seen Jen’s character Teeter on Yellowstone, there’s probably a chance that you’ve had to rewind to decipher what it is she’s saying. But her method for bringing this accent to the screen didn’t require a dialect coach or months of studying a regional voice — it was taken straight from the page. Show creator Taylor Sheridan actually wrote out Teeter’s accent phonetically — meaning how it’s written on the page is how she sounds it out.
“It was so weird. It was always really easy for me,” Landon told TV Fanatic of executing Teeter’s accent. “And I’m not sure why. I think that’s a sign of a good fit. I always understood what she was saying. I think there were maybe one or two lines over the course of the season that I was like, hold on, hold on. I had to read it four or five times. And you just laugh because as you’re sounding it out, you’re realizing the kind of horrifyingly wonderful thing she’s just said. So I would just laugh reading those.”
Teeter’s on-screen love story
One of the most beloved Teeter-centered storylines in Yellowstone is that of her romance with fellow ranch hand Colby, played by Denim Richards. Her character is the foil to the more reserved character of Colby. However, opposites attract over on the Dutton Ranch, and their relationship has only blossomed since the season 3 attack they endured by Wade and Clint Morrow that ultimately brought them together.
“Teeter was very interested in Colby. So when I saw that Taylor wrote that I was just stunned that he and I were both seeing it the same way,” Landon told Meaww of her and Denim Richard’s character. “Teeter likes to ruffle feathers and she’s decided that Colby is somebody who needs his feathers, ruffled. Also, he’s gorgeous.”
She continued in a conversation with Screen Rant: “There’s a sort of, I always felt there was gonna be some sort of unspoken connection that neither of them would talk about, which is the function of being a little bit of an outsider. Denim Richards. Colby stands out. Teeter stands out.”
Although season 5 saw them going their separate ways as Teeter joins Rip in bringing the cattle south while Colby stays behind at the ranch, we’re still holding out hope that their love will prevail.
Jen Landon embraces the Yellowstone love
While she’s no stranger to ultimate fan dedication thanks to her success in the soap sphere, the Yellowstone fandom is one she still holds near and dear to her heart.
“You know, it’s so overwhelming,” she told TV Fanatic. It’s so rare that you deal with a fan base like this. I did get training and experience in this department, for sure, working on a soap. The fans are very, very, very dedicated.” She continued, “I have to say the Yellowstone fans are awesome. They’re great. They’re so passionate. They are the reason why the show is a success and why so many people have a job.”
With the second half of season 5 set to return in November of 2024, we’re anxiously anticipating what’s in store for Teeter and the rest of the Yellowstone crew!
