Cole Hauser can’t take the Texas heat.
The “Dutton Ranch” star got real about the difficulties of filming the “Yellowstone” spinoff in such a hot climate, telling People in a June 4 interview, that the heat made it tough to keep weight on.
“I was trying to keep weight on,” Hauser told the outlet. “I mean, I usually put on about 25 pounds [to play Rip Wheeler], but it was hard to keep it on.”
“I was sweating it out,” the 51-year-old added.
Forced to flee their beloved state because of a life-altering, destructive wildfire, Montana’s royal TV couple Rip Wheeler (Hauser) and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) are in the throes of change, an experience that mirrored that of the cast and crew, who were forced to contend with snow, snakes and 118-degree heat.
Rip and Beth head to Texas In ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff, ‘Dutton Ranch.’
The move to Texas was a seismic one, following five tumultuous “Yellowstone” seasons (and two Dutton-family prequels).
“Texas is a beast. We’re not on soundstages, except for interior house shots. I don’t think a lot of people understand filming in that environment,” Hauser told USA TODAY last month. “The idea of the crew and the actors being outside, it’s 118 degrees out there. And then it will start snowing. It’s like the weather can’t make up its mind.”
Thousands of snakes caught on ‘Dutton Ranch’ set
As if the erratic weather and feral hogs weren’t enough to deal with, the prospect of getting bit by one of the thousands of snakes in the area was also a possibility.
“Eight months. 3,400 rattlesnakes were caught,” Hauser revealed in a May 19 interview on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”
Reilly, Hauser’s costar, said there were six snake wranglers on set “at any point,” adding that they needed to make sure the area was clear, as she was running through grass fields wearing stiletto heels.
“And I’m just praying, like, please let them have got all the snakes in this vicinity,” Reilly said. “They just pick them up and put them somewhere far away from us.”
Hauser was also turned away from shooting at a specific location one night after wranglers encountered a den containing between 40 and 50 rattlesnakes.
Christina Alexandra Voros, “Dutton Ranch” director, previously told USA TODAY that snake wranglers hired to oversee the production had caught 275 snakes up until that point.
“There are snakes onscreen, but far more don’t make it on camera,” Voros said. “Texas is filled with things that will bite you, sting you and scare you.”