In “Yellowstone,” Wilson plays a local musician named Abby.
Along with winning a Grammy, Lainey Wilson has also accomplished a lot in her career, such as being inducted into the Grand Ole Opry and appearing alongside Kevin Costner in the TV show “Yellowstone.”
During a special appearance on Hoda Kotb’s “Making Space” podcast, in which she was the 50th guest, Wilson revealed how she booked the role of Abby in “Yellowstone.” She said it all started after the series’s co-creator and director Taylor Sheridan decided to feature her music, beginning in the show’s second season.
“Yeah, Taylor Sheridan he called, and we had become friends after he had put a couple of songs in the show,” she said. “And I realized just how beneficial it was to have music in that show because people were coming to my show being like, ‘I found you through the “Yellowstone” soundtrack.’”
As for how her character, Abby, came about, Wilson explained that Sheridan was the one who created a role for her on the show.
“Well, Taylor Sheridan told me, because we were on the phone, he said, ‘I’ve got an idea,’ and I’m like, This man is full of crazy ideas.’ He is. He’s crazy,” Wilson laughed. “But he said, ‘I want to create a character specifically for you, and I want you to sing your music and kind of be yourself, but go by a musician named Abby.’”
Lainey Wilson and Hoda Kotb
“I said, ‘Well, you know, I’ve never acted a day in my life.’ And he said, ‘Well, most musicians that I work with, without even knowing it, they’re actors and actresses because at times, you got to stand up on that stage. And maybe you just lost somebody the night before, maybe you’re going through a breakup — maybe, who knows?’ But you got to hide all these feelings when you get up on that stage because it’s not about you,” she explained.
In part because of her role in “Yellowstone,” Wilson’s music sales started to ramp up. In an interview with Sunday TODAY’s Willie Geist, she said she was struggling to make it as a singer after she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, at age 19.
“When I first got there in my camper, you know, I didn’t know that it was going to take me another 10 to 11 years to even, like, crack the egg a little bit,” she said of making it in the music industry.
However, with a little faith and determination, Wilson’s single “Things a Man Oughta Know” from her studio album “Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’” started charting on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in 2021.
Before she knew it, Wilson was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry in June 2024, joining the ranks of Dolly Parton, Reba McEntire and more.
“My favorite moment so far. Hands down, my favorite moment,” she said.
