Yellowstone: Lainey Wilson Gained 'Stage Presence' By Impersonating Hannah Montana
While "Yellowstone" has been an ensemble piece from the very beginning, the series has added more and more familiar faces to its roster as the show has gone on. For instance, the amount of cast members on the opening credits has grown extensively from Season 1 to Season 5, with over a dozen new names added along the way.
Though Lainey Wilson hasn't risen to those lofty heights in her time on the series, the country star was featured prominently in the fifth season of "Yellowstone." Wilson joined the series as Abby, a fabricated version of herself who acts like her, dresses like her, and even sings her own real-life songs. Her character even gave Ian Bohen the chance for the romantic subplot that he has always wanted for Ryan.
Still, Wilson admitted to having a bit of trepidation about joining the hit Paramount Network series. However, she said that she'd already made herself look silly enough times that she was able to get over it pretty quickly. "I've been acting a fool my whole life! Why not just do it on TV?" the performer told Entertainment Tonight Canada, acknowledging how she used to impersonate Hannah Montana for work prior to her immense success as a singer and actress, even going so far as to credit it with helping her get where she is today.
Taylor Sheridan wrote the character of Abby specifically for Wilson
"Yeah, I did," Lainey Wilson said of her previous occupation. While the musician has clearly grown in her career, she said that pretending to be Hannah Montana actually did help her with her career in some ways. "I think that absolutely helped," Wilson said. "If anything, it absolutely helped me with my stage presence."
The performer also mentioned that Taylor Sheridan created her "Yellowstone" character specifically with her in mind. "He said, 'I want to create a character specifically for you. I want you to wear your bell bottoms,'" the singer recalled. "'I want you to sing your own songs. I pretty much want you to be yourself.'"
However, with Ryan and Abby going their separate ways at the tail end of Season 5, Part 1 of "Yellowstone," it's hard to say whether the performer will be reprising her role in the future. Still, with characters regularly disappearing for extended periods only to reappear down the line, fans could see more of Wilson on the show in the future.