Brecken Merrill is a young and talented actor who plays Tate Dutton, the grandson of John Dutton (Kevin Costner) in the hit series Yellowstone. The show follows the lives and struggles of the Dutton family, who own and operate the largest ranch in America. Brecken and Kevin share a lot of screen time and have a close and affectionate relationship on the show, but are they related in real life?
The answer is no.
Brecken Merrill is not related to Kevin Costner by blood or by marriage. They are simply co-stars who have developed a strong bond over the years of working together. Brecken was only eight years old when he landed the role of Tate Dutton, and he has grown up on the set of Yellowstone, learning from his experienced and acclaimed co-stars.
According to Entertainment Tonight, Brecken considers Kevin as a role model and a mentor, who has given him valuable advice and guidance on acting and life. Brecken recalled a moment when Kevin asked him if he really wanted to pursue acting as a career, and how that made him realize his passion and dedication for the craft.
“Kevin says, ‘Do you really, like, wanna do this? Is this what you really wanna do?’” Brecken said. “I thought about it for the next month, and he kind of guided me to that area of, yeah, this is what I wanna do. This is my career. This is my passion. It’s super cold. It’s zero degrees, but I’m loving it. I wanna be here. I just wanna thank Kevin. I’m so blessed to work with such an amazing cast.”
How did Brecken get the role of Tate Dutton?
Brecken Merrill started his acting career as a model, working for a Halloween costume company called Disguise Costumes. He also appeared in a few commercials and short films before auditioning for Yellowstone. He told NewsNation Now that he had to go through four rounds of auditions before he got the part.
“My dad said that me and my sister needed to take a video for P.E. of us playing basketball – play for 30 minutes and send it to our P.E. teacher – when really they were filming my reaction to getting Yellowstone,” Brecken said. “And my mom hands me – haha, prepare for an amazing joke – a yellow stone. She picked the stone, painted it yellow and gave it to me. She goes, ‘You booked Yellowstone!’ And I was like, ‘Wait, what?!’ I was so confused. I knew what she meant by it, but I couldn’t really register it in my head. So, I had to take a minute to just think about what just happened.”
Brecken said he was nervous and excited to meet Kevin Costner for the first time, but he soon felt comfortable and
