Gil Birmingham’s Life Off-Screen: From ‘Twilight’ to Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’ Universe
Before Gil Birmingham returns as Thomas Rainwater in ‘Marshals’ Season 2, take a closer look at the actor's remarkable career
Key Takeaways
- Gil Birmingham didn't begin acting until his 30s when he landed his 'Twilight' breakout role.
- Taylor Sheridan cast him in ‘Yellowstone' after working with him on ‘Hell or High Water.'
- Birmingham says Thomas Rainwater became a rare Native American character with power.
When it comes to the Yellowstone universe, Gil Birmingham is one of its most underrated stars. As Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater, he’s brought depth and complexity to a character who’s both ally and enemy to the Dutton family. Fans can expect to see him reprise this compelling role in Marshals Season 2, but before the show returns, there’s plenty to discover about the talented actor behind the character. From his surprising connection to the Twilight saga, to his surprising health struggles, Birmingham’s story is just as fascinating as the roles he plays. Read on to learn more.
The beginning of Gil Birmingham
Birmingham was born in July 1953 but didn’t actually start acting until 1986. He mainly stuck to guest-starring roles, most of which centered around his Native American culture. Then, in 2008, Birmingham’s luck began to change when he was cast as Billy Black in the highly anticipated book-to-screen adaptation of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series. He appeared in all five movies between 2008 and 2012, solidifying his acting credentials.
“I just think about how fortunate I was to be part of it, because any project you start, you have no idea how many people or how widespread it might be, and to watch a resurgence happening,” Birmingham told People magazine of the films earlier this year. “I went to a convention just about a year ago that I knew nothing about, and there were 1,500 people from all around the world that are as passionate about it as they were when the films were being created.”
Gil Birmingham joins the Taylor Sheridan universe
Birmingham first joined the Taylor Sheridan universe in 2016 in the film Hell or High Water. He wasn’t the lead, but his role did catch the eye of writer/producer, who cast him as Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone in 2018.
“Taylor does whatever he can do and utilizes whatever resources he has access to to make things as genuine and authentic as they can be,” Birminghan told Yahoo Entertainment in 2024. “[Rainwater is] presented in terms of a Native character in present-day time and a character that embodied intelligence and agency and leverage and, you know, playing the colonist’s mind game, and how to achieve the same goals that, for different reasons, John Dutton [Kevin Costner] had as well.”
Yellowstone ended in 2024, but that didn’t stop Birmingham from continuing on in the universe. He wascast in the spinoff show Marshals in 2025, making him just one of four people from the original show to appear in that series.
“On Yellowstone, Rainwater had to strategize to build allies. Now, Rainwater doesn’t have the connection with John Dutton or with those resources he’d taken for granted. On Marshals, his only true ally is, fortunately, Kayce [Dutton, played by Luke Grimes]. He’s kind of on his own and having to work with outside parties and be very political,” Birminghan told Decider in May of this year. “There have been other storylines in Taylor’s previous shows—especially Yellowstone—that have addressed the issue, but it’s an epidemic. It’s really important that we touch upon real issues challenging the Native community. I’m just very excited that we get to address those.”
Gil Birmingham now
Currently, Birmingham is gearing up for the release of Marshals season 2, which premieres in the fall of this year.
“In Yellowstone, Rainwater was somewhat of an antagonist. He was a little more on the offense trying to acquire the land. Here on Marshals, he’s got the land, and now it’s his duty to protect those resources for his people. It puts him in a different position,” the actor told Decider. “He’s more on defense now. I’m not sure that he was expecting the level of responsibility that came with acquiring the land. That makes for great drama for the show.”
Gil Birmingham health and personal life
Personally, Birmingham is not married and doesn’t have kids. He also doesn’t have any major health issues, but fans have noticed that his eyes do appear puffy on screen. However, the actor hasn’t commented on that publicly.
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