Exclusive Interview: Kai Caster Talks Joining the Cast of Yellowstone, His Character’s Past, and New Music

Meet Kai Caster. The gifted young actor is the newest cast member joining the critically-acclaimed series, Yellowstone. His character Rowdy has caused quite a stir since making his arrival, and that’s exactly the type of response that Kai was hoping for and the reason he became a storyteller. Pop Culturalist was lucky enough to speak with Kai about his career on the screen, Yellowstone, what’s ahead for his character, and how he turned to music during the pandemic.

PC: How did you discover your passion for storytelling and the arts?
Kai: It started really young for me. My parents showed me a lot of movies when I was growing up. I was never into any other form of art at that age. I was into film and expression through film. As a kid, I would direct scenes with my parents and do those types of things with them. Being raised in Los Angeles, I was around it a lot.

PC: Who or what has had the biggest influence on your career?
Kai: My mom has been the biggest influence on me. She’s not in the film industry, but just as a person and her work ethic. I took a lot from her on how to prepare for things, how to give yourself the best shot at success, and how to know what you want to do with your passion.

But there are also so many people I can credit with what I’ve done and what I’ve had the opportunity to do. On every set that I’ve been on, there is something new that I’ve learned. People have shown me little tips here and there. I’ve also learned a lot from watching people work. It’s opened my eyes to different things, and I really try my best to soak all that in every time.

PC: In addition to acting, you’re also a singer-songwriter. Actor-musicians have often said there’s a different level of vulnerability that you need to tap into when you’re releasing your own music. Do you feel similarly?
Kai: There’s definitely a different level of vulnerability, especially when you’re doing something new. I’ve been acting ever since I was seven years old. Going into another field is super scary. It took a lot of convincing from my friends and family to release my material and even just to record it. It took some serious convincing for me to take that leap.

But honestly, it was because of the pandemic. A lot of people had that moment when they were like, “I can’t do what I normally do anymore. I don’t know how long I’m not going to be able to do that.” You start thinking, “What can I do locked in my apartment?” I’ve always had a passion for music. I played drums as a kid. I’ve been around a lot of music.

One of my best friends is a musician, producer, and songwriter. I got jealous watching him continue to do what he does, even during the pandemic. I was sitting on my butt all day trying to figure out what I could do. He helped me give it a shot, and I really loved it.

I think what initially drew me in was the writing aspect of it. I wrote a lot of songs for a bunch of different artists and got into it with my friends. They ended up recommending me to other people, and I ended up writing for a lot of different artists. That drew me to it. But the icing on the cake was getting to do it myself and doing my own projects.

PC: As the world has opened up, have you found it difficult to manage the different facets of your career? Can we expect more music on the way?
Kai: Music is definitely more of an expressive release for me. Acting is my full-time job and passion. But there will definitely be more music coming! When I am working on projects like Yellowstone, that will always be my first priority. I’m always giving a hundred percent in everything that I’m working on, but there will definitely be more music at some point.

PC: Speaking of Yellowstone, did you feel any pressure heading into this project, given that you’re joining an established cast and how successful this franchise has been?
Kai: A hundred percent! I feel pressure with any project that I work on. That’s a given. [laughs] But there’s definitely an extra layer of it for this because I have so much respect for this show as a viewer. I’ve watched it for the past four years even before I knew I was going to be on the show. It’s definitely a different feeling going into a project where you’ve seen every episode and you don’t really have to prepare in terms of going back and watching it. You know the show. You know the actors. You know the vibe of the show and how big it is. There is a lot of pressure. But the cast, crew, Taylor, and everyone were so welcoming.

I had to do so much training with all the cowboy stuff to get ready. It’s a real blessing how welcoming everybody is and how much they want to teach you because everyone is on the same page. We all want to make the best product possible. It’s one of the reasons why I think the show is so successful. Everyone knows that it’s not one person’s responsibility to make sure everything is running smoothly—it’s everyone’s. We all take that to heart, which is great.

PC: What was it about Rowdy that drew you in?
Kai: Throughout my career, I’ve always loved being able to find connections between the characters that I play and my own life or the things that I’ve seen. I’m always drawn to those more mysterious, darker roles that have some texture and depth to them. When Taylor [Sheridan] called me about Rowdy, he really explained it like that. I love that Rowdy never goes too far in one direction in terms of his emotions. His emotions are always pretty stable, but there’s always a hint of something that I feel like the audience has to figure out. Taylor was pretty clear when he was discussing the role with me that he didn’t want anything to be point blank or right in your face. He wants people to wonder what’s going on in Rowdy’s head. That’s one of the cool things as an actor: getting to figure out how you can show your character figuring things out in their head. Rowdy does that a lot. I love that complexity.

PC: There’s a lot of mystery surrounding your character’s past with Beth. We know you can’t say too much, but what can fans expect from Rowdy and his arc as the season unfolds?
Kai: I can’t say a lot, but there’s a cool dynamic between Rowdy and Beth. In a weird way, their surface levels are very similar. Beth has that fire to her. She’s had that her whole life. Rowdy has that too. Those energies definitely clash. It’s already started to show in Episode 5. They’re starting to clash already. Rowdy puts up a front. Beth’s character puts up a front, but there’s a softness in her. That’s a recipe for things to happen. That’s all I can say.

PC: How exciting is it for you as an actor to see that your performance is drawing reactions from audiences?
Kai: That’s all you can ask for. Besides delivering a good performance and making sure that you’re doing what the character needs and being true to the character, there’s nothing better than seeing the conflicting feelings that fans can have for your character. They’re dissecting things, which is the whole point of the show and art. You want people to debate and question things. That means you’re doing your job and you’re somewhat interesting. [laughs]

PC: In addition to Yellowstone, you’re also going to be starring in Creepers. Is there anything you can tell us about that project?
Kai: Creepers is going to be a crazy film. It’s going to be really, really fun. We have such an amazing ensemble which includes Adeline Rudolph, Jake Manley, Nicholas Hamilton, Laurence O’Fuarain, and Shane Paul McGhie. There are so many great cast members. I could go on and on. We also have a great studio with Lionsgate. It’s a great story based on a great book series, and it’s going to be a scary, thrilling, and wild movie.

PC: You’re such a dynamic storyteller. As you look ahead to the next five to ten years, is there a dream role that you would like to bring to life on the screen?
Kai: That’s a great question. It’s a tough one because there’s a part of me that wants to say a role that I haven’t played before. I want to bring a new classic to life and hit that home run. But in terms of what I’ve seen and what I’m inspired by, there are so many things.

Lately, I’ve been super inspired by Ryan Murphy’s Dahmer series. Evan Peters plays Jeffrey Dahmer creepily well. I like those types of roles where you can tell these painful, dark stories that have depth.

We were talking earlier about how art is supposed to provoke conversations among viewers. There’s been a lot of press regarding whether the series is glorifying this monster or not. It’s beautiful to see how an actor is able to bring this character to life in a beautiful way, as well as Ryan Murphy’s writing which doesn’t glorify it—and it shouldn’t. They handled this project with so much respect. Those are the roles that I’d love to play.

To keep up with Kai, follow him on Instagram. Watch Yellowstone every Sunday at 8/7c.