Lee Dutton didn't make it far off the starting line on Yellowstone, meeting his untimely demise in the very first episode.
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But co-creator Taylor Sheridan made it up to the actor who portrayed Lee, Dave Annable, by casting him in his new series Special Ops: Lioness.
"There may have been some version of an IOU," Annable said, tongue firmly in cheek.
Of course, the real reason he was cast is because he excels in every role thrown his way. He's known for being exceedingly friendly with the cast and crew and for the powerful, sonorous voice he brings to the screen.
"I think I'm the right guy for the part," he said in an interview with Deadline. "And you know, Taylor has really proven over and over again that he knows what he's doing when he puts the crew and cast together. I'm over the moon. I'm so grateful."
In Special Ops: Lioness, he plays Neil, the doctor-husband of Joe (Zoe Saldana). Joe is a CIA operative and the first boots on the ground in high-stakes missions in the war on terror. Neil stays at home with the kids while she's out saving the world, but Annable says there's a lot more to his character than that.
"My wife is traveling around and I'm home with the kids, but at the same time, I'm this sort of brilliant surgical oncologist who's saving people," he says. "We know their schedules are insane. So we navigate that whole world of marriage and work, which leads to this interesting relationship of sacrifice of love."
Their marriage is indeed complicated, and Neil will grapple with their open marriage -- the only arrangement that works between two geniuses frequently situated on opposite ends of the earth -- as well as how these things affect their two children.
Catch Annable in Special Ops: Lioness, now streaming on Paramount+.
