Yellowstone: The Laramie Character Explained (& Where You've Seen The Actor Before) (2024)

Yellowstone features an ensemble of ranch hands who work for John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and some viewers may recognize Hassie Harrison, who plays Laramie, from her previous roles. The five seasons of Yellowstone have seen all kinds of characters come through the show, from villainous land speculators to ignorant tourists to fiery bikers to plenty of ranch hands who have been responsible for the actual land the Dutton family will stop at nothing to safeguard. Some only appear in a few episodes, but they all have a memorable impact.

Many of the ranch hands in Yellowstone have been selected to work there because something in their past either legally prohibits them from finding work elsewhere or they've become so lost, that they don't know where else to go. In one sense, this makes the Yellowstone Ranch a haven for vagabonds and the purposeless, but in another, it chains the hands to the ranch and ensures their loyalty. Walker (Ryan Bingham), for instance, is an aspiring singer but also a convicted felon who lands at Yellowstone where he earns his brand and the love of Laramie.

Laramie Is A Yellowstone Dutton Ranch Hand & Walker's Girlfriend

Laramie Used To Be A Barrel Racer Before Coming To The Ranch

Laramie first appeared in Yellowstone season 3, episode 5, "Cowboys and Dreamers". Formerly a barrel racer, Laramie was invited to the ranch when her friend in the rodeo, Mia (Eden Brolin), moved to Yellowstone with her boyfriend Jimmy Hurdstram (Jefferson White). Mia asked Laramie to come along, and she eventually got a job as a ranch hand. Laramie breaks the semi-enforced rule of "no women in the bunk house" and a reason for that rule is revealed when her presence ignites a love triangle between Lloyd Pierce (Forrie J. Smith) and Walker.

Eventually, Lloyd and Walker come to blows over Laramie, which results in Lloyd nearly killing Walker. After this event, John evicts all the women from the bunkhouse, though relents when Teeter (Jen Landon) demands to be let back in. Laramie's presence in the show makes an important point about the relationships between the employees on Yellowstone Ranch. Despite all the talk of loyalty and family, the ranch hands are all hard people, simmering under the surface, and it only takes one argument for things to explode.

Harrison has discussed her feelings about Laramie and Yellowstone. When discussing the part, Harrison told Backstage,

"I would say that this is the first time in my career that I’ve had the opportunity to play someone so close to me, but also so different. It’s been therapeutic to be cast in a role that allows me to reconnect to my Texas roots and the cowboy culture I grew up around."

There's a reason Laramie slots in so well to the tone of the show for her 16 episodes, and it's because Harrison is something of a cowboy herself.

Yellowstone

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Yellowstone stars Kevin Costner and centers on his character John Dutton. Dutton and his family live on a cattle ranch just a few hours away from Yellowstone National Park. The series chronicles the family’s struggle to defend their home from an Indian reservation and land developers. As if their life wasn’t complicated enough, the Duttons also have medical issues, political aspirations, and family secrets stacked against them.

Cast

Kevin Costner , Finn Little , Brecken Merrill , Gil Birmingham , Denim Richards , Ian Bohen , Danny Huston , Kelly Reilly , Forrie J. Smith , Cole Hauser , Kelsey Asbille , Wes Bentley , Jefferson White , Luke Grimes , Ryan Bingham

Release Date

June 20, 2018

Seasons

5

Network

Paramount

Yellowstone Laramie Actress Hassie Harrison Also Starred In Tacoma FD

Harrison Plays Lucy McConky On The TruTV Sitcom

Besides appearing on Yellowstone, Hassie Harrison has had a prolific career in television and film, though she has had her most notable successes on television. In film, Harrison plays Margot in the Broken Lizard film Quasi and Jem in the horror anthology Southbound.

On TV, Harrison has had significant roles in notable TV series, perhaps most importantly reuniting with Broken Lizard for her role in the main cast of Tacoma FD as Lucy McConky. Lucy is Chief Terry's (Kevin Heffernan) daughter, and a rookie in the department until season 3.

Lucy is a compassionate and caring member of the department but also has no problem getting into trouble with the other members of the fire department, often resulting in her butting heads with her father.

It's a similar character to Laramie in Yellowstone but much more humorous. Laramie and Lucy are both underestimated in their respective shows for being women, but both end up proving themselves not just equals but often even more capable than their male counterparts. Along with Tacoma FD and Yellowstone, Harrison's other notable TV roles include Lucy in Hart of Dixie and Olivia in L.A. Rangers.

Tacoma FD

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Tacoma FD is a comedy series created initially for truTV and follows a group of firefighters who work out of a firehouse in Tacoma, Washington. Tacoma, one of the most rain-drenched cities in the United States, leaves these firefighters taking up mundane tasks and attempting to deal with their boredom on their lengthy shifts, often leading to hilarious misadventures.

Cast

Kevin Heffernan , Steve Lemme , Eugene Cordero , Marcus Henderson , Gabriel Hogan , Hassie Harrison

Release Date

March 28, 2019

Seasons

4

Network

truTV