“Yellowstone” would not be the same without Walker actor Ryan Bingham, and that’s not just because the ambivalent rogue has become a favorite character among some fans.
Bingham also works with “Yellowstone” co-creator Taylor Sheridan on the soundtrack to the series. And in a behind-the-scenes featurette from the Paramount Network, Bingham shared a bit about how he helps Sheridan select the right song for a scene.
“When I’m reading the scene, I really want to make sure that I know what he’s going for, you know, what he’s trying to achieve,” Bingham explained. “Sometimes he’ll be like, ‘Man, what do you think about playing this song for this scene?’ and I’m like, ‘Yeah, that’ll work.’”
“And then there’s been a couple times that like right as we’re about to do it, or we’ll do it one time, I’ll think of another song, like maybe an older one that I hadn’t played in a long time, and he’s gone, ‘Oh, that’s it!’” Bingham added.
Music Is Deeply Personal for ‘Yellowstone’ Actor
Bingham’s own songs have appeared on the “Yellowstone” soundtrack. And the singer, songwriter and actor said that wasn’t necessarily an easy leap for him to make.
“Sometimes it can be a bit difficult because the songs are so personal to me,” Bingham said of incorporating his own music into the “Yellowstone” soundtrack. “So to take that stuff and put it into a TV show, and into the hands of this character, puts me in a vulnerable state as well, you know? ’Cause I have to have a certain amount of trust in the show and with Taylor’s writing and all of that to kind of just put all that stuff on the table.”
Watch Bingham talk about his work on “Yellowstone” here:
What’s Next for Walker?
In Season 3 of “Yellowstone,” Walker, having left the ranch and disappeared, suddenly turns up again at a bar in town. Rip (Cole Hauser) and Lloyd (Forrie J. Smith) are appalled to discover the erstwhile ranch hand still alive and singing on stage at a local dive. They wait for him to finish his set and then jump him on his way out of the place.
Once they get him back to the ranch, Rip and Kayce (Luke Grimes) debate their quandary. They can’t let Walker go; he knows too much. But can they trust him to stay? If Walker wants to live, he’ll have to accept his old job back – only this time, has to go all in. And that means taking on the Yellowstone brand.
Not only that, but he has to become complicit in a revenge killing. Rip wants blood on Walker’s hands so he’ll stay quiet about what he’s witnessed at the ranch. As the season ended, Walker had dived into the act without looking back and emerged from that night freshly branded.
As Bingham himself said, Sheridan once told him that if he sucked as Walker, they’d just kill his character off. Did Bingham acquit himself well enough for Walker to survive another season? There’s only one way to find out. Season 4 of “Yellowstone” premieres this November.
