A Native American heritage, a young start as a dancer, and…Church Lady
Rice? Kelsey Asbille has quite the story to tell beyond her character on "Yellowstone."
As "Yellowstone" fans may have guessed, Kelsey Asbille, like her character,
has Native American heritage. What you may not have realized is that she is also half-Chinese
on her father's side. For Asbille, playing a native character in "Yellowstone" was a
chance to connect with that part of her heritage. Asbille told "W Magazine,"
"As a person of mixed race, as you get older, it matters more to you who you are
and where you come from. So to be able to get in touch with that side of my heritage
has been amazing. I'd like to do that with all aspects of my heritage in the future."
However, some people have taken issue with Asbille's casting. Saulteaux First Nations
actor Adam Beach even accused her of "redwashing." However, Asbille explained to "The Last Magazine,"
"In terms of identity, mixed race identity, and talking about identity that falls outside
traditions, it's a confusing process, and at least I'm in good company."
Apparently, she's even learning Mandarin and
Cherokee online to further connect with her heritage on a deeper level.
While Asbille's first professional role came in her teenage years,
she had plenty of experience acting when she was younger. As she told Smashing Interviews,
her first performing experience was as a dancer.
"I started dancing when I was really young, then I moved on to school productions. I
think what really sealed the deal was my first community theater play, 'Ragtime.'"
As Asbille explained, the show gave her a real taste of life in the acting industry.
"I was a little 7th grader at that point and I had so much fun, but it was a long
show. I'd leave school to do the show and it would end around midnight. Then I would
stay up until 2:00 doing my homework, but I didn't regret it at all. It was amazing."
In another interview with "The Last Magazine," more than anything,
the "contagious" passion of the amateur cast inspired her to pursue acting as a profession.
After falling in love with the performing arts as a child, Kelsey Asbille began to pursue her
dream of acting professionally. When she got an audition for the teen show "One Tree Hill," she
jumped at the opportunity, borrowing a friend's cheerleading outfit for the occasion. As she wrote
for "Town & Country," she managed to film the show while still attending her hometown high school.
How did she manage it? She convinced her mother to drive her from her home in South Carolina
to the filming location in North Carolina every other week. She told "Cosmopolitan,"
"My mom has always been a yes person. She'd say, 'You know, you can open these doors
for yourself.' So whatever opportunity came up, I'd be like, 'Yeah, I'll make it work.'"
Luckily, it turned out to be worth it. In an interview with "Writer Rebelle" she said,
"Working with the cast, the crew, producers, and the creator,
Mark Schwahn was such an unbelievable experience. I loved being able to take
chances and expand on her character when Gigi returned to the series."
One thing that Kelsey Asbille is not particularly proud of is her skill in the kitchen. In fact,
in numerous interviews, she's proclaimed herself to be a terrible cook. However,
there is one dish that Asbille is pretty confident about making
perfectly every single time. She likes to call it Church Lady Rice.
The casserole dish consists of mushrooms, canned soup, rice,
and butter. The key to Absille's Church Lady Rice is the brand of soup. For her,
it has to be Campbell's. Asbille likes to use its beef consomme and French onion soup.
As the actor explained on "The Kelly Clarkson
Show," the meal is her grandmother's recipe and they'd have it regularly..
"The best meal in town was always Sunday after church."
So, how does one of the biggest stars of "Yellowstone" spend her limited free time?
While you may imagine she would attend plenty of glamorous parties and events,
Kelsey Asbille likes to keep things more low-key.
One of her favorite activities is catching old movies at the cinema. She told "Marie Clair,"
"The last one I saw was 'Ball of Fire' with Barbara Stanwyck and Gary Cooper.
You can learn so much in Stanwyck's performance, and sitting in a theater
takes you away from the world's stresses. Plus, there's popcorn and Raisinets."
Asbille also likes to relax at home. She confessed,
"I love binge-watching TV. Recently, I've binge-watched 'Stranger Things' on Netflix."
She also loves to indulge in takeout. "Chinese food is my go-to," she said.
Kelsey Asbille has had several significant roles throughout her career, but none have
had as significant an impact as Monica on "Yellowstone." For her,
getting the role felt transformative both in terms of her confidence and her career
trajectory. Giving credit to the show's creator, she explained to "MovieWeb,"
"I feel really lucky, you know, because Taylor [Sheridan] is just
such a fierce advocate. Sometimes I feel like people believe in me more
than I do, and I think that that vote of confidence has really changed my career,
and it's changed my life... I think it's really been a real blessing in my life."
As Asbille told W Magazine, Sheridan's vote of confidence first came when he cast
her in his film "Wind River," which she still believes to be her best performance, gushing,
"It was all Taylor Sheridan. I owe him everything. Well, him and my mom."
In other words, working with Sheridan on "Yellowstone" really
has been life-changing for this gifted performer.
"Yellowstone" wasn't just an opportunity for Kelsey Asbille to star in a global
phenomenon — it was also a chance for her to work with some incredible actors,
including Kevin Costner. Costner plays John Dutton, her character's father-in-law. Starring
alongside the seasoned actor was a dream come true for Asbille. She told "W Magazine,"
"Working with people like Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly,
who I look up to so much, is like taking a master class."
From the very beginning, Asbille was a little "starstruck," admitting to "Taste of Country,"
"It really was such a treat. To all be there, and be at the table with
Kevin ... I think there's a part of this job that will always feel very surreal."
But even though acting alongside Costner might have been intimidating for Asbille, she explained
that he always made her feel comfortable and supported rather than nervous, saying,
"He's such a team player, so when you're working with him, you feel immediately very comfortable"
In "Yellowstone," Kelsey Asbille plays the wife of a rancher from Montana. Naturally,
her character spends a fair amount of time on horseback. However, as it turns out,
Asbille wasn't familiar with riding before getting the part. As she explained on "The Kelly Clarkson
Show," she had put horseback riding on her CV even though she didn't know how to ride. She said,
"It's movie magic, thank God for our editor. And I have an amazing stunt
double. We have the best horse wranglers and trainers around."
She followed up by sharing one more little secret.
"I'm terrible at riding a horse, but you know, it's a nice thing to go do on your day off."
Even though Asbille may say she isn't the best rider,
she's capably handled the task of learning how to perform on horseback.
So, how did she learn how to ride so fast? Well, apparently,
she asked her teacher to teach her how she teaches children, which meant she started by
riding with her instructor sitting on the same horse! Clearly, whatever she's done has worked.
Kelsey Asbille hasn't only found success in the acting world but has also broken
into the fashion world. In 2019 and 2020, she collaborated with Louie Vuitton, and in 2020,
she took part in Oliver Peoples' Spring campaign. She told "L'Officiel Monte Carlo,"
"That part of the job was really unexpected but incredibly rewarding. Louis Vuitton invited me
to be a part of their campaigns after 'Wind River.' It's been very surreal and deeply
meaningful to have people like that believe in you and your work, and then empower you with
this beautiful armor so you can step out into the world and present the best version of yourself."
Her Louis Vuitton collaboration began when she appeared in the Pre-Fall Lookbook of 2019
alongside the likes of Michelle Williams, Thandiwe Newton, and Jennifer Connelly.
She then appeared on the runway at Paris Fashion Week in 2020. For Oliver Peoples,
the actor appeared in a short film alongside Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and a series of still photographs.
Based on her success in the fashion industry so far,
we think it probably won't be too long before we see Asbille's next fashion campaign.
As of 2022, "Yellowstone" Season 5 is shrouded in mystery. Various fan
theories predict Kelsey Asbille's character, Monica, will separate from her husband,
and some fans think she may die. In the Season 4 finale, Kayce tells Monica,
"I saw the end of us."
Asbille didn't initially know what to make of it. Speaking with "TV Insider," she said,
"At first, you fear the worst,
and it just breaks your heart. That's why I think we really had to know."
So, she asked the show's creator, Taylor Sheridan,
what the line meant and what would happen in season five, recalling,
"We went straight up to Taylor [Sheridan] and were like, 'You gotta tell us. We just gotta
know our future.' So we do have a pretty good idea, which I'm not allowed to say."
Talking with Showbiz CheatSheet, Asbille revealed
a few more details about her character's future — including pregnancy. Asbille said,
"Okay, this is the part that I've really got to be careful, because I started reading the script,
so I can't say anything other than I'm looking forward to having my little baby bump."
As for her relationship with Kayce,
season five will likely bring a change, she has high hopes, saying,
"It's kind of like a breath of fresh air. We get a new take on their lives.
So yeah, I think that that kind of possibility is always very exciting."