‘Dutton Ranch’ Star Juan Pablo Raba Thought His Character Might Be Killed Off

The peril in the ‘Yellowstone’ universe is always palpable, leaving even the actors uncertain about their characters’ fates. Juan Pablo Raba, who portrays Joaquin in the ‘Yellowstone’ spinoff ‘Dutton Ranch’, recently shared that he believed his time on the show could be cut short.

In an interview with Us Weekly, Raba discussed the unpredictability that comes with being part of Taylor Sheridan’s narrative world, where unexpected character deaths have become a hallmark of the storytelling.

“Look, I think that — except for Beth and Rip — [should be worried]. At least right now, nobody knows,” Raba remarked, highlighting the uncertain futures of the series’ characters.

He recounted a specific moment when he feared he might be written out of the show. While reviewing the script for episode 6, he encountered a scene where another character, Chet, approached him with a gun.

“When I got episode 6 and I opened the page and I see Chet walking to me with a gun, my first thought was, ‘Well, it was nice while it lasted,’” Raba told Us Weekly.

He humorously noted his surprise that no one had informed him if his character was set to die.

“I was like ‘God, it was so short. But why didn’t they call me? That’s rude.’”

Although Joaquin made it through that tense moment, Raba acknowledged that he does not take his future on the show lightly. He hopes for more screen time for his character, believing there is still much of Joaquin’s story to unfold.

“You hope for the best and you hope it’s going to be a long run. But you really don’t know. I really hope we can really work this for many seasons because I think there’s so much story to tell,” he expressed.

Raba is not alone in his concerns about character longevity on ‘Dutton Ranch’. Marc Menchaca, who plays Zachariah, also discussed with Us Weekly the potential for his character to meet a grim fate.

“It’s always a possibility — and I have a pretty good track record of saying bye bye on a show,” Menchaca stated.

The ‘Yellowstone’ franchise is renowned for its shocking twists and emotional character departures. The original series introduced audiences to the Dutton family in 2018, concluding in 2024. Since then, the universe has expanded with new projects, including ‘Dutton Ranch’.

This spinoff features new characters portrayed by actors like Annette Bening, Ed Harris, Jai Courtney, and Natalie Alyn Lind. Raba’s Joaquin has quickly become a character that fans are closely following.

Discussing Joaquin’s role in the narrative, Raba commended creator Taylor Sheridan’s talent for crafting complex characters that are not easily categorized as simply good or bad.

“I love this about Taylor Sheridan and the universes that he creates where it’s really hard to say that somebody’s good or bad,” Raba noted. “We have our heroes, of course but if you go back — in retrospective — some of the things they’ve done I would not consider to be very good. But they’re still our heroes and you understand them.”

The actor hopes that viewers will continue to empathize with Joaquin, especially as he faces a significant personal setback. Joaquin recently learned that he is no longer next in line to run 10 Petal Ranch, leading him to question everything he has strived for.

Raba explained that losing that goal could completely alter Joaquin’s trajectory.

“Imagine if you work all your life toward one goal and you don’t have a family and you don’t care about romantic relationships. You have this one single goal in your head and they tell you no,” he elaborated.

For the time being, Joaquin’s journey continues, but as fans of the ‘Yellowstone’ universe are well aware, no character is ever entirely safe.

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