More details have been revealed about how Jefferson White‘s appearance in Marshals will be addressed after his exit from Yellowstone.
“Very simply, we’re just trying to make the best show that we can,” Luke Grimes shared at a CBS virtual press conference on Wednesday, September 16. “[Showrunner] Spencer [Hudnut] and I have a lot of conversations about how to do that and try to come up with ideas for story and ideas that we feel like our audience would really enjoy. Through those conversations, Jimmy came up.”
Grimes, 42, explained the reason White, 36, was asked back as ranch hand Jimmy Hurdstrom.
“It’s just a character that I think everybody loved so much,” he added. “There are characters in Yellowstone you either love or hate or whatever, but I think universally everyone loved Jimmy, and personally, I just really liked working with Jefferson.”
Grimes continued: “He’s a great guy. Great to be around, good energy, great actor. And so it was just born out of, how do we delight our audience a little bit more this season and bring somebody back that everyone sort of misses?”
Hudnut, meanwhile, hinted why Jimmy will be in Montana.
“Jimmy’s coming to East Camp. He’ll be spending time in Montana. He’ll be getting to know this team, this newfound family for Kayce,” he noted. “We’re just super excited to keep adding. We have such a great roster of actors. It’s fun to just keep adding to that.”
CBS confirmed on Wednesday that White will reprise his role as Jimmy in season 2 of Yellowstone‘s Marshals spinoff.
Jimmy is described as a “good-hearted yet rough-around-the-edges ranch hand who evolved from a troubled criminal into a resilient, proud cowboy,” according to the official press release.
“I’m thrilled to dive into the world of Marshals and continue exploring the American West,” White said in a statement. “The cast and crew are stacked full of my favorite actors and filmmakers, and I’m honored to join them. Jimmy and I have been through a lot together, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for us.”
Before appearing on Marshals, Jimmy was introduced on Yellowstone but departed the Duttons’ ranch during season 4 so White could star in his own show. His 6666 spinoff was in development for five years after creator Taylor Sheridan introduced the concept of a show set at the 6666 Ranch.
Off screen, Sheridan bought the famous 6666 Ranch in Texas. At the time, Sheridan addressed the historic value of the property without confirming his participation in its sale.
“The legacy of the 6666 Ranch and Miss Marion’s vision for the ranch are vital not only to the ranch itself, but the rich heritage of ranching in Texas,” he told the Texas Spur in May 2021. “This legacy is so important to me I chose to highlight it in the upcoming season of Yellowstone and will continue to further the legacy and preserve its operations in a manner consistent with that great vision.”
6666‘s future, however, was overshadowed by other prequels in the franchise and Yellowstone‘s dramatic conclusion after star Kevin Costner’s departure in the fifth and final season. Sheridan offered a rare update in August when he confirmed his decision to not move forward with 6666.
“There’s never going to be one. I would never fictionalize that ranch,” Sheridan said on the “Rodeo Time” podcast. “People thought that that was going to be a thing, but I would never do that.”
Sheridan said he changed his mind after purchasing the real ranch, adding, “[Producer David Glasser] said, ‘If we buy it, can we make any money from it?’ And I said, ‘No, it’s a ranch — we’re going to lose our ass!’”
He concluded: “So now I’m trivializing and fictionalizing something where real people work, and they raise their families there, and I could never do that to them. I could never do that to the cowboys that dedicated themselves, and everybody that works on that ranch. I’m very protective of the Sixes, and it’s a big responsibility to be the person who has to protect that ranch, so I have to be very, very careful with it.”
Marshals returns to CBS Sunday, October 4, at 8:30 p.m. ET before streaming the next day on Paramount+.
