The Colombian-born actor talks about hitting the right notes and finding the right hat to play Joaquin Jackson Reyes in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spin-off.
When Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) asks you a question, you damn sure had better come up with a truthful answer. And pretty quick. Especially if you’re seated in a truck with a gunshot wound to your hand that requires medical attention — and Rip is the guy at the wheel.
So Joaquin Jackson Reyes (Juan Pablo Raba), eager to stanch his bleeding and unwilling to arouse Rip’s ire, came clean: It was his volatile adoptive brother Rob-Will Jackson (Jai Courtney) who dumped the corpse of 10-Petal Ranch hand Wes Ayres on Rip’s Dutton Ranch spread after fatally shooting the guy because … because … well, Rob-Will just goes crazy sometimes and does stuff like that.
But Rip shouldn’t worry, Joaquin told his inquisitor. As the longtime “fixer” for 10-Petal owner Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening) — his adoptive mother, Rob-Will’s biological mom — he has taken care of the problem by shipping the shooter off to rehab, then overseas.
“He’s never coming back, Rip,” Joaquin promised. “And if he does, I’ll [expletive deleted] kill him.”
Maybe. But then again, maybe not.
That’s how things stood as Episode 106 (“A Cowboy Saint”) of Dutton Ranch drew to a close. Unfortunately, in the very next episode (“Den of Sin”), Rob-Will returned to 10-Petal just in time to crash a lavish party — and, worse, intimidate Beulah into naming him as heir to the ranch. Not surprisingly, this greatly upset Joaquin, who had been led to believe (by Beulah) that he, not Rob-Will, was the anointed one.
But as Episode 107 ended, it was obvious that Joaquin still had a shot at taking control of 10-Petal. After all, he still knew where all the bodies were buried. And, more important, all the guns were hidden.
Before the June 26 premiere of Episode 108 — the second-to-last in Season 1 of Dutton Ranch — we had an opportunity to speak with Juan Pablo Raba. The Colombian-born actor has previously appeared prominently in such TV series as Six, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Narcos, and movies including The Marksman and Freelance. But it’s safe to say Joaquin Jackson Reyes is his breakout role in American-produced media. And he’s keeping his fingers crossed that Joaquin will continue fixing things for Beulah in a Season 2.
The Outsider Who Wants In
Cowboys & Indians: Do you see Joaquin as kind of like Robert Duvall’s character in The Godfather, Tom Hagen? Like, he will be a trusted advisor, but he’s never going to be allowed to fully take over?
Juan Pablo Raba: One hundred percent. I think that’s a wonderful reference, sir. And I actually used a little bit of that in my portrayal.
There are some characters in stories and in life who feel they have a whole plan. If they do A and B and C, at some point somebody’s going to notice and say, “Hey, buddy, it’s got to be you.” But they forget there are other things and other nuances that will never allow them to become that. They know it in the back of their heads, but they still want to fight it.
That’s exactly what happens with Joaquin. He thinks, I’m going to do everything right. His parents abandoned him. He grew up without real love. He was dropped with this family, and this woman has taken care of him. She’s the closest thing he’ll ever know to a mother.
Joaquin wants Beulah to love him. He wants to be accepted. He wants to do everything right and finally earn his place. And to do all of that and still not get what’s rightfully yours — it’s heartbreaking.
“Joaquin wants Beulah to love him. He wants to be accepted.”
C&I: How jealous do you think he is of his younger brother, Rob-Will, after having to clean up so many of his messes?
Raba: I don’t think he becomes jealous. I think every mess he cleans up becomes an opportunity. He’s collecting material. “Let me sweep this under the rug—but it’s my rug.” That’s why he keeps the gun. “Sure, buddy, I’ll clean up your mess, but I’m going to keep that evidence close to my chest.”
This is what he’s been planning all his life. His brother is an F-up, and one day the mistake is going to be so big that Joaquin thinks he’ll finally be able to take the throne.
That’s why it’s so heartbreaking for him. Not only does he lose out because of something as intangible as bloodline, but he also sees years of planning crumble to pieces.
A Hat Is More Than a Hat
C&I: Sometimes I’ll see an actor in a scene — and it won’t even depend on dialogue — and I can’t help but think, He must have really liked doing that scene. And I’m thinking of that moment in Episode 106 where you go in to buy a hat, and you just try that sucker on and you’re like, “Yeah! Ain’t I the cat’s whiskers?”
Raba: [Laughs.] Man, I love that you noticed that.
Because on paper it can read like such a simple scene: “Oh, he buys a hat.” But there was so much more to it. We worked so hard on that scene. We had so many conversations with the director, Jessica Lowrey, and everybody involved. The hat became a thing — both on-screen and off-screen. The day we shot that scene, the wardrobe department made a piñata of my character wearing a hat. We called it Hat Day.
For many episodes, I kept asking, “When do I get a hat? Everybody has a hat. Why am I in Texas and I don’t have a hat?” Then I realized buying that hat is like buying a crown. He’s getting ready to be crowned, and he knows that’s the last thing he needs to be accepted in that world. He knows he’s not going to be crowned if he doesn’t have a proper hat. So it was a very big day.
“Buying that hat is like buying a crown.”
C&I: I’ve talked to a lot of actors — and actresses, too — who have told me they never really got into the character until they found the right hat or the right vest or something.
Raba: Yeah. I work a lot with that. I’m always very involved with wardrobe because it says a lot about a character. The first wardrobe department had envisioned Joaquin in a completely different direction, and I started tweaking things.
For example, they wanted to put me in traditional Texas cowboy boots. I said, “These are not the boots he’s going to wear because he’s not a cowboy. He drives a Range Rover.” We had to establish certain differences between him and the other characters. Joaquin doesn’t pretend he’s a cowboy. He knows he doesn’t have the respect of the bunkhouse. But he signs the checks.
The hat was the same way. They were very gracious about letting me contribute. Choosing that hat wasn’t a process of a few weeks — it took several months to arrive at that specific hat and that specific color.
Why He Never Made It to Cowboy Camp
C&I: Taylor Sheridan is famous — or infamous, if you prefer — for making every member of his cast attend cowboy camp. How was cowboy camp for you?
Raba: They didn’t let me go. And that’s the kind of thing I enjoy the most. When I shot a military show called Six, we went to SEALFIT in San Diego. They put us through hell to prepare us to play Navy SEALs. I was so excited about cowboy camp.
I’m terrified of horses, by the way. I had only recently gotten comfortable around them for a movie I shot a couple of months before this. So I was eager to go. Then they told me, “Actually, your character doesn’t have to go.”
Which, by the way, was a very savvy decision. Cowboy camp gets actors close to each other because it’s difficult. You become a family by going through hardship together. But Joaquin is such a lone wolf. He doesn’t need to be friends with anybody, and people don’t have to respect him.
If you send me to cowboy camp, people are going to respect me one way or another. The idea was that the cowboys didn’t necessarily have to look up to this guy. So it actually made perfect sense.
Keeping Success in Perspective
C&I: I would imagine there must’ve been a certain amount of pressure on you because, well, you might have thought, OK, this is the follow-up to Yellowstone, one of the most popular TV shows in the world. So when the first ratings came out, did you have a sense of relief? A sense of, “Yes! We did it!”
Raba: Joe, I’m going to be really honest with you. No. I’ve been doing this for 28 years. I know the drill. I think it was either Robert Duvall or Spencer Tracy who said, “All I can do is be on time, know my lines, and don’t bump into the furniture.” That’s all I do.
I’ll give it 110 percent every single day, but once I’m done with my scene, my job is finished. Then it belongs to the editor, the composer, the marketing department. It’s completely out of my control. I’ve learned to live with the reality that sometimes things work and sometimes they don’t.
Of course I’m happy when something succeeds. But I’m happiest for the people who put so much work into it. The crew is fantastic. Everybody works incredibly hard. It makes me happier to think that somebody on the camera crew or somebody in catering feels proud of the show than to think about my own contribution.
“Once I’m done with my scene, my job is done.”
Looking Toward Season 2
C&I: Finally, Taylor Sheridan likes to keep his cards pretty close to the vest, but has there been any discussion yet about a Season 2?
Raba: Way above my pay grade, bro. Listen, Joe, if you hear anything about Season 2, make sure to call me first because I have no clue.
Would I love it? Absolutely. I’d love for us to keep going for many, many seasons. Hopefully it happens. But I’ve learned to cope with the reality of this business. This is the job we chose, and this is how it goes. At this point, I honestly have no idea.
C&I: Well, if there is a Season 2, do you hope you get to ride a horse in that one?
Raba: Yeah, I hope I do. Actually, I really would love to. I told them, “If we do a Season 2, make sure you send me to cowboy camp this time. Because if I have to ride a horse, I don’t want to look like an idiot.”
