Lainey Wilson admitted she almost walked away from “Yellowstone” before she even got the gig.
The 30-year-old country star revealed she was “on top of the world” professionally while also “going through it” with family matters at the same time Taylor Sheridan was expecting a confirmation she would portray Abby on the hit show.
Wilson’s father was having health issues, and she was afraid of committing to the show without knowing what the next steps would be for their family.
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Lainey Wilson revealed the reason she almost didn’t pursue her “Yellowstone” role. (Jason Kempin)
“Professionally, I felt like, man, I’m in the best spot that I’ve ever been in. I’ve been in Nashville for 12 years trying to do this thing,” she said while chatting on an episode of “Dutton Rules: A Yellowstone 1923 podcast.”
“I felt like I was on top of the world when it came to opportunities, but personally, man, me and my family, we were going, we were really, really going through it.”
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Wilson’s father, Brian, suffered a stroke and also had his left eye removed due to a fungal infection.
Lainey Wilson’s father insisted she pursue acting despite his health problems. (Jason Kempin)
“In the middle of filming of ‘Yellowstone,’ my daddy was in the hospital. And he was in ICU,” she said.
“He spent two months in ICU in Houston, fighting for his life. The doctors told us he’s not gonna make it, there’s a big chance he’s not gonna make it.”
She took a break from filming on the ranch in Montana to visit him and remembered being by his bedside one day in Houston.
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“He woke up just in time before I had really made up my mind, and he said, ‘I don’t care if it was my funeral. If you got a job that needs to be done, you’d better go do it and not come back until it’s done,'” Wilson said.
“I had to kind of pull up my bootstraps, and I had to think, you know, what would he want me to do. My parents have done everything in their power to help me see this dream through.
Lainey Wilson made her acting debut in season 5 of “Yellowstone” as musician Abby. (Paramount Network)
“I’ve learned that I had to find that courage from a place that I have never actually had to dig deep down and find, and that actually does exist. It’s in there. I hope I don’t have to pull it out as much anymore.”
Wilson also revealed the “Yellowstone” cast helped her keep high spirits with prayers for her dad.
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“Every day we were on set, they were wanting updates about, ‘How’s your daddy doing? We’re praying. We’re lifting him up,'” she said.
“Every single person just came up to me and was loving on me as much as they could. That’s truly, I think, what also gave me the strength to keep on pushing through.”