Brecken Merrill is the actor who plays Tate Dutton on the hit show Yellowstone, and it's hard to believe how much he's changed over the course of the popular western's four seasons. Merrill made his first appearance back at the very beginning in the first episode of season one. Tate is the lovable and innocent child of Kayce and Monica Dutton, who has been through some serious trauma since we first see him. Fans meet Tate as a young boy growing up on an Indian reservation, living a rough and tumble but otherwise happy life. Tate is fascinated and enchanted by his grandfather's cowboy lifestyle and happily joins his grandpa for thrilling ranch adventures after Kayce and John Dutton repair their damaged relationship.
His life is not all sunshine and rainbows, as his father kills his uncle in a tragic battle in the series premiere. After Tate and his parents move to the ranch, Tate is tragically kidnapped by Dutton's rivals in an attempt to hurt the patriarch. Though young Tate has seen a lot in his short life, he manages to navigate it with grit and child-like optimism. Especially following the horrific tragedy his family endures at the beginning of season 5. Here's everything to know about the young actor who brings Tate Dutton to life.
Who is Brecken Merrill?
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Brecken Merrill is a 14-year-old model and actor, best known for his debut acting gig as Tate Dutton on Yellowstone. Merrill began his professional career by modeling the Emmet costume in The Lego Movie, while also modeling various other Halloween costumes. His modeling career appears to be on pause while he pursues acting. Merrill only broke into the acting world in 2018, but he's gone on to act in the television drama, This is Us. Bracken's first movie gig will be playing the lead actor Emmett LeClair in We All Got Up to Dance. That film is currently in pre-production, so Merrill fans will have to wait a bit longer to see him on the big screen. Merrill keeps his fans updated about his future film projects and auditions via his Instagram account.
When Merrill is not busy filming, he lives with his parents, Jesse and Kristy Phillips, in Newport Beach, California. According to Legit.com, his mother is a romance author, and his father is the CEO of a food company, Good Culture. Merrill is the middle child, with an older sister named Karis and a younger sister named Seren. Merrill often showcases his siblings and family on his personal Instagram account. He even announced his acceptance to the same elite performing arts high school that his older sister attends.
Merrill appears to live a regular life when not filming Yellowstone. He's a dog lover and has an adorable Parson Russell Terrier puppy, who makes frequent appearances on Merrill's Instagram. Merrill has also shared snaps of his filming companion, a black dog who lives next to the filming camp.
His Mentor is Kevin Costner
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In an interview with News Nation Now, Merrill referred to his on-screen grandfather as his mentor. He shared, "He [Kevin Costner] treats me as a peer more than just like a little kid. Like, one time I was on set and I called cut not knowing like, I'm just a kid. I can't just call cut. And everyone was laughing. Everyone's like, oh my God, the kid called cut. And instead of laughing, Kevin was confused why I called cut. And he just treated me as a peer more than just a little kid."
In an interview with Good Morning America, Merrill recalled Kevin Costner's advice to him was to "have fun and not take things too seriously." Merrill even said that he looks to Costner as more of a role model than a grandfather, even though Costner plays his grandfather on the show. Talk about a seriously cool opportunity to learn from such a legendary actor at such a young age.
What does Brecken Merrill have in common with Tate Dutton?
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Though Tate lives a much more dangerous and gritty life than Merrill, the two boys do share some similarities. Tate's love of donuts is evident on the show when the character asks his grandfather to bring him the largest one he can find. When Merrill reached 10,000 Instagram followers, he shared a photo of him surrounded by chocolate donuts, writing, "Thank you for 10k follows! I love you guys more than Tate loves donuts!"
Merrill also enjoys riding horses, which he learned to do while filming Yellowstone. During a Youtube Q&A, Merrill shares that he took five, one-hour horseback riding lessons in Montana to prepare for his role. His favorite is a black and white horse named Tilly.
Like his character, Merrill has a special bond with his grandfather. He shared a photo on Instagram announcing his great-grandfather had passed away. Merrill wrote that his great-grandpa was "one helluva guy and one of the good ones."
Brecken Merrill's Favorite Moments from Yellowstone
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Merrill revealed his favorite scenes back in 2018 for Yellowstone's YouTube channel. At the top of his list was getting to throw a fish at Dave's face in Season 1. He also had a lot of fun shooting the scene where he killed a snake with his bare hands. Even though no real snakes were involved, he said that it was a great experience. Just like Tate, Merrill shared that his favorite scenes are the ones he shoots with his on-screen dad, played by Luke Grimes. The two have a really sweet relationship on the series so its nice to hear that they get along just as well when the cameras aren't rolling.
READ MORE: 'Yellowstone': Kelsey Asbille and Luke Grimes on Tragic Season 5 Loss and Why Monica and Kayce 'Choose Each Other'
