While the jump from Yellowstone to Dutton Ranch appeared seamless to viewers, it was much different behind the scenes.

After Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone came to an end following the departure of Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser reprised his role of Rip Wheeler in new spin-off series Dutton Ranch alongside Kelly Reilly, who plays Beth Dutton.

But writer and showrunner Sheridan didn’t join them, which proved a daunting prospect for both actors. “There were challenges, you know?” Hauser, 51, told Film Inside NYC.

“Not having Taylor there, for us to really kind of be able to work with these new writers, these new directors, these people... everything had changed.”

He said that the “only normality that we had whatsoever on set” was having Reilly, their Yellowstone co-star Finn Little and the show’s former director Christina Alexandra Voros.

“I enjoy a challenge – it certainly was a challenge,” Hauser added. “We worked our asses off this year. And I don’t think a lot of the outside noise or the thought of ‘what’s the weight of the show?’ was really apparent to me at the time.”

Hauser said he rose to the task, “putting my head down” and working “with what I had around me”.

“The new writers that we had, we had to figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story. So I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to doing it again,” he stated.

One co-star who might not be looking so forward to season two is Ed Harris, who plays veterinarian Everett McKinley. Earlier this week, the 75-year-old actor claimed he felt “misled” over his role in the series, revealing that he asked his team to “get me the f*** out of here” while shooting season one.

“Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do – and that I was one of the four main characters,” Harris told Variety, adding: “And that wasn’t really the case.”

“I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential,’” he continued. “I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.”

He added that he was left “really pissed off” after a singing scene he shot was cut from the final edit, which at the time he felt was “enough reason to say I’m voiding my contract”.

“So there’s this scene in there,” he explained. “I’m talking to Beth [Kelly Reilly] at the bar, and Rip [Cole Hauser] comes in and says, ‘OK, Everett, come on, it’s your turn.’ I walk up to the mic, and they cut it. They cut the song out. I’m going, ‘F*** you, people.'”

Despite Harris’ objections with the first season, he’ll be back for the second – and according to the actor, he’s been told that his character will have “a little bit more to do”. The Independent has contacted Paramount and creator Sheridan for comment.

The Yellowstone franchise has become a TV juggernaut, spawning four spin-offs, including 1883, 1923, Marshals and Dutton Ranch.