In a television landscape often defined by antiheroes and moral gray areas, Cole Hauser says Rip Wheeler stands apart.

The longtime actor, who reprises his fan-favorite “Yellowstone” role in Paramount+’s new series “Dutton Ranch,” told Fox News Digital that Rip was always designed to embody an older kind of masculinity rooted in loyalty, honesty and grit.

“I mean, there’s pieces,” Hauser said when asked how much of Rip reflects who he is in real life. “You know, obviously I don’t kill people, which is a good thing.”

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STARS COLE HAUSER, KELLY REILLY CONFIRMED FOR SPIN-OFF SERIES ALONGSIDE MAJOR CASTING ADDITION

“But, you know, I think what Taylor and I originally wanted to create is kind of a throwback to the old-school American man,” he continued. “And I think Rip is that. He’s extremely loyal. He’s honest. He has great honor. He loves, he fights. I mean, he is the epitome of a Montana man.”

WATCH: COLE HAUSER SAYS RIP WHEELER IS A ‘THROWBACK TO THE OLD-SCHOOL AMERICAN MAN’

“Dutton Ranch” marks the next chapter for Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler after the massive success of “Yellowstone,” with Kelly Reilly and Hauser leading the Paramount+ spinoff alongside newcomers including Academy Award nominees Ed Harris and Annette Bening.

The new series follows Beth and Rip as they attempt to build a future together in Texas while facing new threats, rivalries and challenges far from Montana.

For Hauser, the role has always felt personal.

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The actor, who has long split time between Montana and Florida, said his connection to the West runs far deeper than the screen.

“Well, Florida is, I feel like I’m on vacation when I go home, which is what we wanted to create, my wife and I,” Hauser said. “Montana, my family has been there since 1886. So the Hauser legacy there is huge.”

“I mean, Samuel T. Hauser was the seventh governor of Montana, helped start that state,” he continued. “So going back there felt like a homecoming for me.”

Hauser previously told Havok Journal that he discovered more about his family history while visiting Montana with his son and had always felt deeply connected to the state before fully understanding why.

That personal connection helped shape the authenticity audiences came to associate with Rip Wheeler over the years.

WATCH: COLE HAUSER SAYS MONTANA ROOTS HELPED SHAPE HIS CONNECTION TO RIP WHEELER

KEVIN COSTNER REVEALS ‘TRAGIC’ TRUTHS UNCOVERED IN NEW DOCU-SERIES ‘THE WEST’

That authenticity, Hauser believes, is part of the reason audiences around the world connected so deeply with “Yellowstone” and Rip Wheeler.

Hauser believes the emotional attachment audiences have to “Yellowstone” and now “Dutton Ranch” goes beyond just cowboys and ranch life.

“You know, it’s interesting, you know, 10 years ago when we started this, it was really kind of a grassroots show in Montana and then, you know, we grew out to the edges, Los Angeles, now New York, and now the world,” Hauser said.

‘YELLOWSTONE’ STAR LUKE GRIMES TARGETED BY MONTANA LOCALS AS MOVE FROM LA SPARKS SMALL-TOWN FURY

“I mean, we were just in Europe and it’s amazing to watch, you know, the Germans dress up as cowboys, the English,” he continued. “I’ve been to Australia and New Zealand. I mean just how many people have been touched by it.”

Hauser credited creator Taylor Sheridan’s storytelling and the larger mythology of the American West for the franchise’s worldwide appeal.

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“I honestly don’t know other than the tremendous writing and storytelling of Taylor Sheridan,” he said. “I mean, he created unbelievable characters and Montana is a character in its own.”

“And I think people forget how beautiful the Old West is.”

MONTANA RANCH TIED TO ‘YELLOWSTONE’ UNIVERSE HITS MARKET FOR $16.3M

“Dutton Ranch” follows Beth and Rip as they leave Montana behind after the Dutton family sells the Yellowstone ranch, setting out to start over in Texas and trade everything they fought to protect for a far more unpredictable and unforgiving new frontier.

“God, this next iteration, I mean, it has such new challenges,” Hauser said. “Obviously the landscape of Texas, the heat, that was totally different, the new environment, the new characters that come in, the story.”

Still, Hauser said one thing remained essential while stepping back into Rip’s boots.

“What stayed consistent is Beth and Rip,” he said. “Kelly and I were very cognizant of making sure that those two characters continue to be the same polarizing, strong, loyal characters that they’ve always been.”

WATCH: ‘DUTTON RANCH’ DIRECTOR EXPLAINS HOW TEXAS TRANSFORMS THE WORLD OF THE SERIES

Director and executive producer Christina Alexandra Voros said the new setting helped reshape the visual identity of the franchise while preserving its emotional core.

“You weren’t in these soft, green, blue, cloud-topped mountains of Montana,” Voros told Fox News Digital. “You were in this sort of searing heat and dangerous dryness of Texas.”

Voros said the series ultimately becomes “a very classically Western trope of finding your new frontier or building a new legacy.”

WATCH: ‘DUTTON RANCH’ STARS CALL TEXAS MOVE ‘LIKE TAKING MATCHES TO A GASOLINE PARTY’

That evolution is also what actors Marc Menchaca and Juan Pablo Raba said makes the new series feel fresh despite remaining tied to the “Yellowstone” universe.

“It’s exciting watching two of their favorite characters, Beth and Rip, stepping into another world,” Raba told Fox News Digital. “Stepping into Texas. It’s got to be exciting, right? It’s like taking matches to a gasoline party.”

“Dutton Ranch” premieres May 15 on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network.

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement arrested a Vietnamese illegal immigrant after he was released from prison for murdering a Texas woman 30 years ago.

Nahn Tu Hoang killed then-32-year-old Sarah “Kathy” Arceneaux at her home in Port Arthur, Texas, on Feb. 29, 1996 when he shot her five times, according to ICE.

She was killed when Hoang and a group of friends went out drinking and decided to rob homes in the Port Arthur area, the agency said.

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Hoang got access to a .22-caliber rifle, and the group went on a shooting spree firing shots at dogs and homes.

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According to court documents, “Hoang testified that as he was walking to the front of the house, he was startled by a woman leaning over her dog. Hoang testified he was scared and started shooting. Hoang shot the woman five times, killing her.”

ICE called it a “horrific, tragic story” in a post on X announcing the arrest.

He was taken into custody by ICE on May 5 after being released from prison and is being held pending deportation.

It’s Thursday morning and the sun is out here in NW Ohio for another edition of Screencaps where we get started with more news about the world of pop culture healing from the woke, disgusting Biden era where being a loud-mouth purple hair lingerie model was more important than being a beautiful biological female like Rachel Pizzolato.

Who is Pizzolato? She’s an Instagram content creator –– legit content creator; she can change brakes on a Hyundai –– who went in Wednesday for a test shoot with Victoria’s Secret. Why is that a big deal? Well, because she’s an actual female going in for a test shoot for a brand that has made a habit of trotting out biological males in lingerie for its annual fashion show.

Rachel isn’t on the level of Sydney Sweeney going in and saving American Eagle, but she’s the type of personality that pop culture needs and heals. Is there another Victoria’s Secret model who can change the oil in a 2025 Hyundai? I highly doubt it. But, Rachel can.

Here’s the proof. Is there a Victoria’s Secret Angel who can repair a toilet? I’ve been working on the Internet 18 years and I can’t name one. It turns out Rachel has a full video on her repairing a toilet.

Speaking of Sweeney, she’s trying to steal lingerie market share from Victoria’s Secret with her new SYRN brand. The energy right now is on SYRN’s side. Pizzolato wouldn’t be a complete game-changing move from VS, but it would be a move in the right direction. You’d have American women in a lingerie showdown like the old days of the United States.

Now we just need Victoria’s Secret to do the right thing.

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I’d say he threw in the low 80s maybe the mid-80s. With control. I’m talking a 14-year-old kid straight out of central casting for a baseball movie. Probably 5’8. 230 pounds. Maybe a couple more pounds after a big breakfast. Growing up in Brookville, OH, my family would call this kid corn-fed. Thick as an ox. Any fat was actually muscle. Big boned. Head the size of a bull.

MLB FIRST-ROUND PICK JEFF FRANCOEUR TALKS FATHERHOOD IN YOUTH SPORTS, PETE ROSE, POTENTIAL BASEBALL LOCKOUT

And he threw flat-out SMOKE. Highly controlled smoke. Here’s the kicker: He was the second pitcher we faced last night. The first one went three innings and gave up one hit. That kid threw over-powering heat, but not nearly like this ox. Out of 12 pitches in the 4th inning, nine were strikes. He painted the corners. Up, down. Inside. Sliced and diced.

As I was coaching 3rd base, the shortstop and third baseman were talking to each other saying, “thank god we don’t have to face him.” At the plate, the ox went 3-for-3 with a double and a triple.

Last night, as I was decompressing from the night, I did some investigating and it turns out the ox spends part of his summers playing in high-level Perfect Game travel ball showcases around the midwest. In the spring, while in school, it appears he plays with his school buddies. I had zero problem with him destroying our team. It was actually very impressive to witness. And the kid never said a word. Never ran his mouth. He just went about his business methodically and destructively.

If only there was a way to get my kids to take an ounce of that mentality. Final score: 11-1. That team might not lose a game this summer.

– CB emails: It’s been a minute since I chimed in, so I figured I’d toss my completely unsolicited 2 cents into the walk-up music debate. First—full disclosure—I don’t have a dog in this fight. My kids are grown and flown, so the only thing I’m managing these days is my coffee intake and the occasional hot take.

Phil suggested Rick might just be a grumpy old man. Possible, but I’d like to offer a counter-diagnosis: Phil is suffering from a touch of Main Character Energy (as the kids say and as I’m now obligated to misuse). Wanting a entrance song for yourself at your own wedding and pacing like a caged tiger?  That’s not a wedding. That’s an origin story.  And you could do better than Slayer. Also, Phil slightly overlooked a small, but critical detail – weddings are, traditionally speaking, about the bride.  The groom’s job is to be more of Supporting Actor with speaking lines.

MALE EMT IN ROYALS DUGOUT DRILLED BY FOUL BALL IN THE ABSOLUTE WORST POSSIBLE SPOT

As far as walk up music for 11 & 12 years olds?  I think it’s harmless, fun even – a little swagger never hurt anyone.  Until it does.  The second a kid cares more about his intro than his at-bat, you’ve turned development into distraction and you’ve lost the plot.

At that age, the checklist is simple: No one on – get on base. Runner on 1st – move him over. Runner in scoring position – get the job done.Not: “Let me time my glove adjustment with the beat drop.”  They should be learning how to play the great game of baseball—not building a personal brand. And for the “Professional players have walk up songs” crowd – I hate to ruin your fantasy, but when they step into the box, they’re not thinking about Metallica vs. Drake. They’re locked in on: The situation. The pitcher. Swing cues. The music for the crowd.  

It’s part of the show baseball has become (See also: closers entering like WWE superstars).One thing I would agree with Phil on is entrance music for work. This is a wildly underutilized concept. Lucky for me I work from home and can have an entrance song if I want.  Personally, I’d go with AC/DC’s Thunderstruck or Big Bad Wolf (Warner/Chappell Productions) if I want to fully commit to bad decisions.

Of course if I did, my dogs would give me the side eye and my wife would seriously reconsider her life choices.  But for a brief, glorious moment… I’d feel like I just crushed a walk-off dinger in Game 7.

Life is short, be legendary. All my best to you, Mrs. Screencaps and the SC community.  Do hard things!

– Otis in Mobile checks in: A lot of talk lately about Walk up Music and the Savannah Bananas, which may be two sides of the same coin.   Baseball may be America’s pastime and going to games at any level is a lot of fun, but I just do not think it translates well to television, especially in today’s world where everything seems to be instant gratification.  So yes the Savannah Bananas are going to draw crowds because it adds some entertainment to the event.   I have watched a few innings on TV and it was fun but it was not long before I switched the channel and I have no intention to attend a Bananas game for one simple reason.  It’s just too loud.   If I want to constantly be bombarded with loud music and a thousand things going on at once I will go to Mexico.  It is cheaper and the food is better.  No hate, I think what Jesse Cole has fought through to make this thing successful is amazing and I wish that league all the best.

I feel that the walkup music in baseball is the same thing, a little something outside the norm to liven things up.  The fans like it and even Outkick has posted articles dedicated to a single player’s music and how it is awesome….or it isn’t.   Young players seeing this from players they want to imitate are naturally going to do the same,  mostly in the interest of “look at me”.   And you know what?  That is fine.  Do your thing kid, but just remember that when you draw attention to yourself and fail to get the result you want, it can be embarrassing.

This is where I think the coach that was ejected by the teenage umpire made his mistake.   If he thought the lyrics were unsuitable and complained that is one thing, but I really do not think that was the entirety of his complaint.  I think he felt like his team was getting shown up and did not like it, so he decided he was going to stop it.    The problem is that most of the time you cannot control other people and even if you can, maybe you shouldn’t.   I have never coached baseball but I have coached some kids flag football and every team has its talkers.   When our kids complained about a talker my response was always the same thing.  “If you don’t like him talking, then shut him down.  Beat that team.   Do YOUR talking on the field with your play.”    My opinion is that after it was obvious the ref was not going to give him what he wanted he should have called his team to the pitchers mound and fired them up so that the walk up music became an advantage for HIS team.   Instead he took his ball and went home, forfeiting the game.

One of the reasons that I love sports is that it is a metaphor for life, and he failed those kids by not teaching them some life lessons.

1.  Control what you can control and make your own destiny, not what other people want it to be.

2.  Sometimes no matter how hard you try things do not go your way.  Finish what you start and get better every day

I am sure there are some other ones, but I am on a timeline today.

This is the content I want out of you guys this summer: the odd, the weird, the unusual. It makes us think. It makes us wonder what makes people put bumper stickers on their cars. This is the America I want to see this summer.

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That’s it this morning. I’m short on time and this needs to get published. Let’s buckle down and finish the week strong before heading into that first weekend of summer. Have an incredible day of life.