5 ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘Landman’ Leading Ladies Reveal What They Really Think About Taylor Sheridan’s Portrayal of Women
From Beth Dutton to Elsa Dutton, discover how these actresses feel about their powerful roles
In recent years, Taylor Sheridan’s portrayal of women has taken the internet by storm. Some people love them—we are looking at you Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly)—whereas others have people questioning if they are overly sexualized and used more as a prop than a person. To dive deeper into this, we have rounded up the five most iconic Sheridan women and found out how they really feel about their characters. Read on for more.
5. Alexandra Dutton
In the Yellowstone prequel, 1923, Alexandra Dutton (Julia Schlaepfer) quickly became a fan favorite character. Not only did they love her humor and wit, but they also quickly discovered that her determination, strength and belief in love were essential to the show’s overall plot.
“There was a big emotional journey for me to map out for Alexandra this season, which was so much fun to get to dig into. Normally, we see her so happy-go-lucky with her heart on her sleeve. And balancing that with the hardships she’s facing was really exciting as an actor,” Schlaepfer told Woman’s World of her character’s journey in Season 2 back in February of 2025. “She’s doing it all on her own, at least at the beginning. And so, she’s got to find a really deep level of grit and determination to power forward. We see a new side of her.”
4. Angela Norris
To some, Angela Norris (Ali Larter) might come across as overly sexualized and aloof, but to us her character is a plot necessity in Landman. Not only does she add some much needed humor and heart to the show, but she also single-handedly creates its iconic dinners, which make Landman what it is.
“There’s good press and bad press. That’s challenging. I try to keep myself at arm’s length from that and stay with the work. This is Taylor’s baby. Anytime I would take my foot off the pedal, Taylor was on step. He wants her to be loud and emotional, like a tornado of energy. The way he envisioned this show is that it has so many tones,” Larter told The Hollywood Reporter in June of 2025. “There are so many different parts of this show, and I think what has connected with audiences is that all these tones work together in Taylor’s vision. First season, we didn’t know if that was going to work. And as I was able to see it, I saw his vision unfold.”
“I’m also, like, ‘Objectify me. C’mon.’ Nobody’s putting me in a position that I’m not comfortable being in,” she continued. “I have two children. I’ve been married for 19 years. I love playing this character. If there was something I was uncomfortable with, I wouldn’t do it. What’s more uncomfortable is that people are so uncomfortable with their sexuality.”
3. Cara Dutton
Also appearing in 1923 is Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren). She was the Dutton family matriarch at that time, and despite living in the middle of nowhere, Montana, Cara somehow managed to become strong, independent, loyal and sweet.
“You see Cara having to take control of situations,” Mirren told Vanity Fair in October of 2022. “Those women who crossed America had to make decisions and do physical things that [people in a] civilized society wouldn’t. In a war, they say, we don’t want women on the frontline. Women are always on the frontline. They’re the ones dealing with the fallout from the attack.”
“Women’s contribution to survival, it is so enormous and it’s never really sufficiently recognized,” she continued. “Women like Cara, they’re on a kind of a frontline of a war as well. It’s a war against the elements, but women are great at survival.”
2. Elsa Dutton
Throughout all of Sheridan’s work, no woman grew stronger and smarter than Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) in the Yellowstone prequel 1883. Throughout the show, Elsa is seen falling in love, dealing with heartbreak, traveling across the country and eventually dying at what would later become the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch. It was a powerful journey, filled with impeccable storytelling that left every woman wanting to go out and explore.
“I love saying Elsa words and I love getting to sink into her voice. It’s a luxury,” May told The Hollywood Reporter in June of 2023. “People die. And too young, too. And a lot of them did. But she lived a full life in six months. She fell in love twice. She got married. She did a lot more than most people do in an entire lifetime. She had this great odyssey and what a thing to be able to experience alongside her. I felt like I was living her journey as much as she was. It was really, really special.”
1. Beth Dutton
Of course, we had to put Beth Dutton at the top of the list! Not only is she hilarious, but she’s also stubborn and not willing to run away from a fight. The only complaint we have about her is that we just got to spend five years with her! Thankfully, though, Beth will be in a new spinoff show entitled Dutton Ranch, which is expected to be released later this year.
“She’s not just one thing. She’s like 10 women in one. We know her as insane and fierce, but there is such a deep soul and incredible depth of heart and love and devotion to her family,” Reilly said on CBS Mornings in November of 2024. “I love her.”
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