Neal McDonough is very good at playing very bad guys, and my favorite example of that came in Season 2 of Yellowstone. He played Malcolm Beck in the series, and he and his brother were responsible for some of the show's most brutal moments. Now, the actor wants to return as his character for an upcoming Yellowstone show, and I hope Taylor Sheridan is taking notes.
Now, in Yellowstone (which you can do with a Peacock subscription), it’s not 100% confirmed that Malcolm is dead. He was seemingly fatally wounded. However, after John shot him multiple times and offered to take him to a hospital if he gave up the location of Tate, he left him to die alone in a field. And we all should operate under the idea that if we don’t see the dead body with our own eyes, we can’t assume anyone is really dead.
Well, now, Neal McDonough is setting the record straight about Malcolm, as he told Collider that his character is for sure still alive, and he wants to return as him:
Yes, Malcolm Beck is not dead. No one saw him actually die in the field. I would love to see him come back and cause havoc with Rip because Cole Hauser was one of my dearest pals, and there's nothing I would love more than to go toe to toe with Cole on the show. So, I'm open for that one. Everyone's got to write in to Taylor saying, ‘Bring Malcolm Beck back!’
You know what? I agree! Bring Malcolm back! He was an absolutely vicious adversary for the Duttons, and I’d love to see how he comes back with a vengeance. I also want to watch how the family responds to his return. Considering John is dead, it’d be fascinating to see the kids fully deal with him, and I think it’d be a compelling way to connect Yellowstone to one of the new series.
Now, it seems like McDonough would like to be part of the Rip and Beth spinoff, which I think makes the most sense. What the Beck brothers did on Yellowstone is not made for CBS, which is where Kayce’s series will live. So, I imagine that his likely violent return would be better suited for Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser’s Paramount Network series, where they won't have to worry as much about what they can and cannot show.
I also think it simply makes more sense that Beck would come for John’s daughter and son-in-law over Kayce. They’re starting a new life and ranch together while Kayce moves into a totally new profession. With that in mind, I think it’d make more sense for old adversaries who came after the Duttons’ land to return for the tentatively titled Dutton Ranch instead of the Luke Grimes-led Y: Marshals.
Along with that, McDonough has a personal connection to Rip and Beth’s show because he’s really good friends with Cole Hauser. So, seeing their chemistry on screen again would be so fun, especially if they get to go head-to-head in a very direct way.
It’s worth noting that the Malcolm actor is also a part of the Taylor Sheridan extended universe. Along with Yellowstone, he’s in the cast of Tulsa King, which can be streamed with a Paramount+ subscription. This makes his comeback feel more likely.
It’s not uncommon for actors in Sheridan’s shows to jump from program to program – Sam Elliott was in 1883 and will appear in Landman Season 2, Michelle Randolph was in both 1923 and Landman, and Hugh Dillon was in Yellowstone before Mayor of Kingstown. Therefore, I could totally see McDonough jumping back into Beck’s boots for one of these new shows.
Obviously, none of this is confirmed, but the fact that Neal McDonough wants it to happen gives me hope. So, here’s hoping Malcolm Beck comes back to wreak havoc on the Duttons.
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