When Arielle Kebbel was 17 years old, she was considered part of Young, Hot Hollywood. I dressed the budding actor for a 2002 magazine feature that boasted the talent who would go on to energize the industry. I felt this in my bones about Kebbel, so while I was tasked with dressing a handful of television and film newcomers for the photo shoot, I set aside my most standout dress along with a string of statement pearls for Arielle to wear in the spread. The one-time model would go on to appear in nostalgic favorites such as Gilmore Girls, John Tucker Must Die, and much, much more. Today, her longtime love of horses brings authenticity to her latest role as Belle Skinner in CBS' Marshals, Taylor Sheridan's latest series for the screen streaming on Paramount+, and renewed for a season two. The backdrop is Boseman, oftentimes, the rez, and of course a bar where the marshals team of four gets to trade bravery for bleeding hearts, boastful banter, and blending in. The spinoff is centered around Yellowstone's beloved cowboy Kayce Dutton in his brand new life as a U.S. marshal, and the diverse team, tough and talented, who surround him. Catching up over two decades and multiple projects later, I sat down with Arielle to talk filling big franchise shoes, Belle's daring duality and bumpy backstory, and her own dedication and desire to bring detail to her character, which, of course, you can shop below.
What was it like jumping into a show with an already established key character, Kayce Dutton. Were notes provided? Did you do your own research? Lucky for me, I didn't need to do much research. I was very familiar with Yellowstone and all of Taylor's shows. I've been a huge fan of the universe he creates and brings people into. I also really love and respect people who use the same circle of people. I find that very endearing, especially in such a hard business,. There were a number of reasons why I wanted to work with him; everything from the Western aspect, to understanding that this is a creator whose relationships matter. You don't see that all the time. When I knew I'd gotten the show, I did turn on Yellowstone to refresh my memory, it had been a couple years since I'd watched. I started watching season one and then turned it off. I love the show, but it got to a point where it was all coming back to me very quickly. I didn't want to fall into the trap of trying to mimic or be anything that was already established. I was afraid that if I kept it so fresh in my brain, I was going to mimic something rather than just lean into who Belle is and how she fits in. I knew this was going to be a risk. You've got already beloved characters, and you're introducing a whole new world of characters to that. It was the most exciting part for me, but certainly also the riskiest. How are these two worlds going to blend? What do I have to do to make Belle stand out as her own character but in a way that's still very believable against the backdrop of this world?
After working on the season, what did you reflect upon as most rewarding? ...So many rewarding things. But I'll start with what a wreck I was before the premiere! I voice-noted [writer-creator] Spencer [Hudnut] and [co-star] Luke [Grimes] and was like, 'I promise I won't make this a thing, but I just have to share I've been doing this for, you know, 27-plus years, yet I've never been more of a wreck!' I respect and know the weight and responsibility that comes with signing onto a spinoff. I was so excited, but nervous. One day I went through the range of emotions; excitement, shaking, 'I'm going to throw up', 'I can't handle it', 'I'm going to watch it', I'm not going to watch it', 'I can't read the comments', 'I'm going to read the comments'... The fact that it's a success? I'm still taking in, because I was in this place of, 'Dear God, it's out in the world'. It's been such a huge bonus, given where I'd started, emotionally. I'm still taking it in. I was so focused on the work and I never stopped to think about what it would feel like for it to be a success. I've also trained myself to just focus on doing good work. You never know what's going to be a hit. You never know what's going to be a bomb. You can't gauge your career off of any of it, because that's too devastating. There are so many 'what-ifs'. When my work is out in the world---that's the piece I can't control. Of course we all want success; we all work so hard. I want it for everyone, but there are no guarantees. The fact that this has taken on a life of its own, becoming more and more successful each week? It's a new feeling that I'm still processing.
How do you describe both Belle's personality and also the way that she interacts with people? She's very contradicting at times. Her personality is one of all heart and justice and drive. She would do anything for her son. She would do anything for her teammates. She's very driven, and she's an adrenaline junkie. She's kind of lost, finding her way around her love of family and her love of work. What should that look like? She's a bit closed off and distrusting. She's very observant and she keeps her cards close to her chest. That's not necessarily who she is, deep down, but she's become closed off because of the things that have happened in her life, especially with her family. We learn more about her backstory as the season goes on. It takes her quite some time to open up to people. One of the interesting things about her connection to Kayce, is that even though they may be not so close and are still getting to know one another, she recognizes where he comes from and sees the family secrets and burden he must carry. There are similarities there. It makes her really challenging to play, actually. She's this woman who is full of heart---yet one who makes people earn her heart, before she shows it to them.
Belle almost lives a double life. She's a mother and a wife, she's got a family. Her work is the opposite of her home life. It's highly fast-paced, risky, and dangerous. The layers there are fun to play. Being an adrenaline junkie is a conflict for her. She's not ready in any way, shape, or form, to give up that kind of high-octane danger and adrenaline. But at what cost? In episode one she gets shot, and she loves going undercover. ...And I'll be honest, I do too! That was one of my favorite episodes. It was so much fun to play; her look, her hair. I have to give it to our costume and hair people, because I would never have thought about going red. It worked. Now it kind of makes me want to have red hair, myself.
How you you see Belle amidst the four marshals? How does Belle's expertise compliment their own? Belle is a local, and lot of time they lean on her. If they're in a car chase, she'll know where there's a back road. Part of her expertise is knowing and understanding the people in town. She really respects Cal [played by Logan Marshall-Green] and how he put the team together. She was really excited to join, but I don't think she ever expected to get close to anyone. She never expected Cal to open up to her. He clearly carries a lot of secrets and burden as well, and she takes their relationship very seriously. She's a very loyal person, and at the same time she's got guilt over how much she's hiding from her team.
What has prepared Belle, to date, for her job as a U.S. marshal? It's the combination of how she grew up, who she is, innately, and her years of experience working at ATF [the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives]. She grew up in the great outdoors, her family is known for cutting horses, and she's got cowgirl blood deep within. She also has a deep sense of justice. I don't think there's anything more dangerous than a cowgirl who's seeking justice. That's been so much fun for me. I grew up watching Westerns with my dad and grandpa, and have always loved seeing badass women bring an old school way of life and way of doing things to the table. These cases mean a lot to Belle, especially the case when she went undercover to find missing girls.
Where would you like to see Belle go next season? I was just talking to Spencer about this. I would like to see what Belle's like when she opens herself up a little more to the team, when she has more trust in everybody. I'd love to see Belle with her guard down. We do see some of it when she's at the bar; we get glimpses of her laughing and smiling and playing with the team at their local hang. There, everyone can let their guards down a bit. I'm curious about what Belle looks like as she continues to build her relationships with her team. What's happening on the rez is important to her. She has this draw to the character of Miles, and has a lot of compassion and empathy for what he's doing. He joined the marshals to protect the rez, yet people on the rez are turning on him. She sees and feels all of that. It would be really interesting, in season two, for Belle to be tied to more stories about the rez. And she's a very skilled horse woman, so seeing that skillset play out in the wilderness in season two, would be great.
hair eskee lee | makeup beau nelson
Watch Arielle Kebbel as Belle Skinner in Marshals on CBS, streaming on Paramount+.
Arielle Kebbel in Ralph Lauren Purple Label at the LA premiere of Marshals.
