Why Does ‘Yellowstone’s’ New Character Sarah Atwood Look So Familiar?
A day on the Yellowstone ranch tends to involve lassoing cattle, sibling drama, helicopter rides, and massive shootouts with rivals hell-bent on taking down John Dutton. You know, typical salt-of-the-earth cowboy stuff. 😂
And enemies for the Dutton family are like weeds: when they finally get rid of one, another springs up in its place. This was the case during the much-anticipated Yellowstone season 5 premiere on Sunday.
There’s always a lot to digest in a regular episode of Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western drama. So, it’s no surprise the two-episode premiere left a lot of fans wondering about the role new cast members will play in the season. Most notably, who is Sarah Atwood, the sleek corporate shark introduced in the second half of the premiere? Here’s what you need to know.
Who is Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone season 5?
In case you missed it, much of the Yellowstone premiere’s drama surrounds John being (reluctantly) sworn in as governor and his personal agenda to thwart the environmentally destructive land development that threatens his ranch. The fact that John now holds the state’s highest office doesn’t sit well with Market Equities, the firm trying to pave over Montana, so they call in the big guns. Enter: Sarah Atwood played by Dawn Olivieri.
Atwood is the person Market Equities calls when it’s time to “take off the gloves” and play dirty. She’s like the perfect dark-haired foil to Beth—cold, calculated, and not afraid to use her good looks to get what she wants. Case in point, the episode (and season 5 sneak peek) hints that Atwood will take advantage of a spurned Jamie to turn him against the rest of the family. She’s striking while the iron is hot. Jamie is still emotionally vulnerable after John threw him under the bus politically and his biological father…well, you know. Poor Jamie really can’t catch a break.
Where have you seen Dawn Olivieri before?
Viewers have a keen eye if they think Olivieri looks familiar. She joins the list of actors who have appeared in both Yellowstone and 1883. Olivieri played Claire Dutton, the sister-in-law of John’s ancestors, in the prequel.
She’s also had numerous other TV appearances, including Andie Star on The Vampire Diaries, Janice Herveaux on True Blood, and Lydia on Heroes.
The actress is also a goat herder and lived off-grid in a cabin on 20 acres of wild land, according to a recent interview with Shoutout LA. “I had two big dogs to keep the bears away and some chickens for eggs and a will to make it work,” she said. “It was hard. REALLY hard. I felt like a real-life frontierswoman.”
