‘Marshals’ Star Arielle Kebbel Talks Playing a ‘Rough and Tough Badass Cowgirl’ in Taylor Sheridan’s New Hit (Exclusive)
Learn about the sweet bond she shared with the horses on set—and the reason why she loves her character's name
The new Yellowstone spinoff, Marshals, which follows Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) as he joins a team of U.S. Marshals in Montana, mixes the Western style executive producer Taylor Sheridan is known for with the classic format of a procedural.
Marshal Belle Skinner, played by Arielle Kebbel, stands out for her grace and grit, and the actress couldn’t be more pleased to wear her badge and get on a horse. “I’ve been a Yellowstone fan for quite some time. When the show first came out, I couldn’t get enough of it. I also love Lioness and Landman,” the actress says. “I knew it would be a dream come true to work on Marshals, because Taylor Sheridan’s a genius.”
The star, who got her start in aughts movies and shows like Gilmore Girls, The Vampire Diaries, Aquamarine and John Tucker Must Die, and later appeared in everything from Hallmark rom-coms to horror movies, sees Belle as a natural evolution of the strong women she’s portrayed in shows like Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector, Rescue: HI-Surf, 9-1-1, Ballers and Midnight, Texas. Belle has quickly emerged as one of Marshals’ most dynamic characters, and Arielle Kebbel sat down with Woman’s World to discuss why she loves playing her.
Woman’s World: You were already a fan of Taylor Sheridan when you were cast in ‘Marshals.’ What else drew you to the series?
Arielle Kebbel: I was excited when I found out that Spencer Hudnut was creating the show, because I knew his wife, Anne-Marie McGintee. She was a producer on Midnight, Texas, so I’d met him years ago when he came out to New Mexico while we were filming the show. It felt like a fun full-circle moment, and I knew that if there ever was someone to bring a Marshal team into the Yellowstone world, he was the person to do it because of all his years as the executive producer of SEAL Team—and of course, Kayce Dutton has his backstory as a Navy SEAL. It was a natural fit, so I felt safe and excited to jump in.
WW: How did you prepare for the specialized work of playing a Marshal?
AK: We had someone on set that we could always talk to. Our technical advisor, Lenny DePaul, was always there, and our fight coordinator, Ryan Sangster, was a real SEAL Team member, so between the two of them, we always had our reference points when we needed them.
In terms of my own research, I’ve played a detective, a cop, a firefighter and a lifeguard, and along the way, I’ve talked to a lot of women who’ve worked in these high-crisis situations day in and day out. Because of that, I felt like I already had a good sense of what it means to throw yourself into this job and then tuck it deep down and go home to your family. I’ve had a lot of conversations about that over the years, so I felt like I could draw on what I’ve learned.
The piece that I needed to research the most was Belle’s backstory, because she comes from the ATF [the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives], and I wasn’t as familiar with what it meant to go undercover within that organization. I spent a lot of time researching that, and I was really excited to expose that layer of her in the show.
There’s an episode where we see Belle go undercover for one of the most important missions of the season, and I had to do a lot of technical work in learning how to operate an M4 rifle while running up and down mountains and balancing moving through small spaces with moving as a team, all while doing the proper footwork and signaling. We were always told that people would be looking for authenticity, so even seemingly minor gestures became important.
WW: In addition to acting in a Western series, you’re also a board member of Skydog Sanctuary, an organization dedicated to helping wild horses. How did you become interested in horses and what does working with them mean to you?
AK: I’m a huge horse girl through and through. I started riding horses when I was 5 years old, and my happy place was always at the barn. During the summer, I’d beg my parents to drop me off to ride at 8 a.m. and pick me up at 8 p.m., and that was my life.
I was so excited to work with the horses in Marshals. My horse’s name on set was Tumbleweeds. I called him TW. Anytime you’re working with an animal, it takes twice as long to film, but I don’t mind. I love the energy of having horses on set. It’s so nice to be in the chaos of a scene and then look over and see the horses and pet them or stand next to them in between takes. It’s very grounding. I worked closely with our head horse wrangler, Bobby Lovgren. He’s done a lot of Taylor Sheridan’s shows. As much as I love horses, the number one rule in riding them is realizing that you never know what’s going to happen and you’re never fully in control.
I actually brought my own horse to Utah, where we filmed the show, and when I wasn’t working, I got to go visit her. She’s a wild mustang who was rescued the night before she was going to be slaughtered. Being on the board of Skydog Sanctuary and seeing the work they do in rescuing wild horses from slaughter is very important to me. That’s where I got my horse, and adopting her has fully changed my life. Between scenes, I’d race off to the barn and come back, and it filled my heart.
WW: What is it like to play one of the main women in such a masculine show?
AK: We’re surrounded by men on the show, but it’s true to the real world— and that’s a whole other conversation! I love that my character’s name is Belle. It’s one of my favorite character names I’ve ever played. There’s something that happens when I say her name. I feel like I transform a bit—it makes me feel a little more elegant. I really love that juxtaposition of her having this beautiful name while being a rough and tough badass cowgirl. I worked hard to explore that juxtaposition whenever I could. In creating the character and working with Kelli Jones, our costume designer, we made sure she wore feminine colors like pinks and creams, and if she was in blues and greens, it was on the lighter side in more of a pastel shade.
I have friends who are horsewomen in Montana, Utah and Wyoming, and I looked to them for inspiration. They all wear neck scarves, not as a trendy thing, but as part of their wardrobe. They wear that with a collared shirt, jeans, boots and their hair in a braid or ponytail. I was always playing with the idea of Belle being badass while also showing what a beautiful thing it is to celebrate femininity, especially in such a masculine world.
Learning how to stay in my femininity while working with so many men could be a challenge. It’s easy to want to blend in, but leaning into softness while carrying a gun and running with men felt very powerful. I’m not trying to be one of them. A lot of times, when you see a tough woman in a man’s world, the first impression is that she’s trying to fit in. I’ve been guilty of that. When I did Ballers, I always wanted my character to be one of the guys.
Now, I’ve gotten to a place in both my personal life and my acting where I work side by side with men and I’m proud of being feminine next to them. I’ve been learning this lesson in real time, and it’s been exciting to embrace it in this character. It reminds me how powerful art is.
Conversation
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