Meet Hart Denton—The 'Dutton Ranch' Star Behind That Shocking Scene
Episode 5 of Dutton Ranch premieres today, and if you haven’t watched it, don’t worry—we aren’t going to spoil it for you. If you have seen it, though, then you probably found yourself gasping out loud during the scene centered around Chet (Hart Denton) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) in the bunkhouse. Not only did Harton shine, but it’s one of the most captivating, engaging scenes ever written in the Yellowstone universe. But who exactly is Denton outside of Rio Paloma, Texas? And where have viewers seen him before? We share everything you need to know below.
Get to know Hart Denton
Denton was born in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1993, but didn’t start acting until 2016. His first role was in the TV series Lethal Weapon, but he was only in one episode. Then, in 2019 he was cast in the hit Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why in which he played Dean Holbrook, a wealthy student and football player who bullies some of the other cast members.
“My preparation was always to understand these people and not judge them, although a lot of them are on the bad side. I’m not that way in real life so I don’t relate to them at all,” Denton told Boys by Girls of playing an antagonist in October 2021. “It would be easy for me to quickly condemn or judge but I wanted to take my time and figure out who these people were.”
Hart Denton goes to ‘Riverdale’
Following 13 Reasons Why, Denton had a few small roles in TV shows and shorts, but it wasn’t until he was cast in the highly discussed CW show Riverdale in 2018 that he skyrocketed to fame. In the show, he played Chic, Betty Cooper’s (Lili Reinhart) fake brother.
“Coming into this, I completely underestimated the size and strength of the Riverdale community and family. The fans are just the best in the world. It’s been amazing,” Denton told Teen Vogue in January 2018.” Chic has a lot of layers he brings to this show. It’s not black and white, it’s not good or bad. There are so many different elements to him. I can play it in so many different ways. He’s got such a wild history as far as how he was raised and the type of world he came from.”
“There were some parallels with myself and Chic, and just a matter of struggling in life at different points, and then being rescued in a sense—metaphorically [for me], by this show, and now being set up into the best position I could have ever possibly hoped for,” he continued. “I was the quintessential struggling artist who had less than a dollar in his account and couldn’t afford to print out the sides to take to the audition and had to memorize it on my phone. And then my life changed in a matter of three days. It’s been a whirlwind, and the most amazing thing I could ever ask for.”
Eventually, Denton’s Chic does end up killing two characters on the show—Tom Keller (Martin Cummins) and Frank Andrews (Ryan Robbins)—at the end of Season 4, but that has not stopped the actor from raving about his time on the show.
“Everybody took me in pretty lovingly with open arms from the get-go,” Denton told Huffpost in April 2018. “I didn’t know that it was going to become what it is now. This whole process has been so wonderful and the cast is a real pleasure to be around because we are very grateful for this platform we’ve been given. The show is so powerful and it’s a beautiful thing.”
Hart Denton joins the Taylor Sheridan universe
Denton left Riverdale in 2021 and went back to some guest starring roles before becoming Chet in the highly anticipated Yellowstone spinoff Dutton Ranch. For those unfamiliar with the show, it follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler after they move from Montana to Texas. Denton plays Chet, a wrangler for the rival ranch 10 Petal, which is owned by Beulah Jackson (Annette Bening).
Denton’s character does have his issues, though, especially since he witnessed Beulah’s son Rob-Will (Jai Courtney) murder someone and recently got fired from the 10 Petal ranch. But, what exactly does that mean for his character? Well, we don’t know just yet, but based on Chet’s shocking reunion with Rob-Will, it’s guaranteed to be a thrilling ride.
Dutton Ranch airs every Friday on Paramount+.
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This story was originally published June 5, 2026 at 1:43 PM.