‘Yellowstone’: Dawn Olivieri’s Stunning Red Carpet Transformation Earned Her a Role in the Taylor Sheridan Series
Actor Dawn Olivieri portrays Sarah Atwood, a new enemy for the Dutton family, in Yellowstone Season 5. This isn’t Olivieri’s first time working with the famous television writer Taylor Sheridan. Olivieri appeared as Claire Dutton in the first two episodes of the prequel series 1883. The actor looks very different as the pious and drab sister of James Dutton, but her stunning red carpet glam caught Sheridan’s attention.
Dawn Olivieri played Claire Dutton in ‘1883’
1883 tells the story of the Dutton family’s treacherous journey to Montana in search of a better life. Dawn Olivieri plays Claire Dutton, James’ pious, no-nonsense sister. Olivieri’s look for the Yellowstone prequel was far from glamorous. The actor wore buttoned-up high-neck dresses and her hair in a tight bun, with a hat to complete the look.
Olivieri’s role in 1883 was short-lived. After Claire’s daughter Mary Abel was killed in a conflict with a group of travelers, Claire decided not to continue the journey. She shot herself in the grass beside her daughter’s grave.
Unfortunately, Olivieri had a rather abrupt ending to her time on the show. “When filming 1883, I didn’t get to say goodbye to anybody because I got COVID the night before my final day of filming and wasn’t able to go to set — it was just going to be me in the background for a scene,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “But I didn’t get that farewell time with anyone I had just went to deep with; I just disappeared.”
Taylor Sheridan didn’t recognize Olivieri at the ‘1883’ premiere
Since Olivieri had to make such a sudden exit from the set of the Yellowstone prequel, she decided to go all out for a red carpet event. “For the 1883 premiere in Las Vegas, I got all dolled up. I told hair and makeup that I wanted them to make me real bombshell-y — the complete opposite of Claire,” Olivieri revealed to THR.
“In the back room, before you do the carpet, I was saying hi to people I had spent a short amount of time with, directors and different people, and they greeted me with zero recognition. I had to say, ‘It’s Dawn. I play Claire.’ They were like, ‘Oh, my God!’ No one recognized me, it’s like I had a costume on or something.”
Olivieri also walked up to Taylor Sheridan and his wife, Nicole. “He had no recognition on his face at all,” she continued. “Nic goes, ‘It’s Dawn.’ And it was like a semi-truck hit Taylor, and he went, ‘Oh, s***!'”
“All the hair and makeup was just for that moment because he was so blown away that there I was, completely different. He said, ‘You’re coming to work for me now.’ I was real cool about it, but after I went into the corner and screamed like a little girl! Because it’s like your dream offering.”
Olivieri returns as Sarah Atwood in ‘Yellowstone’ Season 5
Taylor Sheridan quickly found another role for Dawn Olivieri. The actor returned as Sarah Atwood in Yellowstone Season 5. Sarah is a big shot at Market Equities. Caroline Werner recruits her to take down the Dutton family, and Sarah takes her job very seriously.
Sarah is also the polar opposite of her 1883 character. A beautiful and cunning seductress, Sarah quickly puts Jamie Dutton under her spell. At the same time, Sarah has a plan for the rest of the Duttons in place.
Yellowstone Season 5 returns with new episodes this summer, 2023.
