Report: Rita Wilson to Guest Star on ‘1883’

Rita Wilson is adding her name to the growing list of impressive guest stars to appear on the new Yellowstone prequel, 1883.

Variety reports that Wilson is slated to make a guest appearance on the show in the role of a storekeeper named Carolyn. According to the exclusive report, she offers Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill) a little downtime via some whiskey punch during a stop in Doan's Crossing.

The actor and singer is following in the footsteps of her husband, Tom Hanks, who guest-starred in Episode 2 of 1883 in the role of a Union general who tries to console James Dutton (Tim McGraw), who survives the Battle of Antietam after fighting on the losing side with the Confederate Army. Billy Bob Thornton also guested in Episode 2 as a gunfighter named Jim Courtright, who served out harsh frontier justice at the end of a barrel in Fort Worth. That character was based on a real historical figure.

So far there's no further information as to when Wilson's upcoming episode might air.

1883 follows James and Margaret Dutton and their family as they embark on a difficult journey West from Texas to Montana, where they will eventually establish the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch that serves as the setting for Yellowstone. Their characters are the great-great-grandparents of Dutton patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner).

During a roundtable interview with Taste of Country and other media prior to the show's premiere, McGraw revealed that he personally called to invite Hanks to guest star, adding that he and Hill have been friends with Hanks and Wilson for years.

"He's a great guy. We've been friends for a long time," he shared. "Rita, his wife, and Faith are best friends, and Tom and I have been friends for 24 years. I knew that there was this part in there, and I gave him a call and said, 'Hey, would you be interested in showing up and doing a cameo in this show that we're doing?' And he goes, 'Tell me when to be there.'"

New episodes of 1883 stream every Sunday via Paramount+.

Stay tuned to Taste of Country as we provide ongoing coverage of both Yellowstone and 1883, including episode analysis, news on the shows, cast interviews and more. As part of our comprehensive coverage, check out the Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

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