“Yellowstone” Actor, Chef Has South Louisiana Ties
Chances are you or someone you know has watched at least one episode of the Paramount Network series Yellowstone. If you're a regular viewer of the show--or, at the very least, if you watched last Sunday's episode--you've seen the Dutton Family's personal chef appear on screen for a brief scene.
Believe it or not, the actor portraying that chef is a chef in real life.
What's more: He's a South Louisiana boy.
Gabe "Gator" Guilbeau was born in California, but he was raised in and around Baton Rouge. He started his career in studio craft services right out of high school, joining his father in that line of work. Guilbeau worked on movie shoots in the Baton Rouge area before graduating to bigger Hollywood productions. In addition to Yellowstone, Guilbeau has worked on behind-the-scenes cooking for the stars of TV shows and movies like American Horror Story, Jurassic World, and Terminator Genisys.
Guilbeau's cooking became so popular among the members of the Yellowstone staff that show creator and writer Taylor Sheridan gave him a recurring role as the Duttons' personal chef. The character's name, "Gator," is the same as Guilbeau's real-life nickname.
While the "Gator" character is best known for serving grilled octopus and vodka smoothies to the show's characters, what exactly does Guilbeau serve the show's crew? The short answer is: If you can find it in a Louisiana kitchen, you can find it on the Yellowstone set. Crawfish étoufée and gumbo are among Guilbeau's go-to menu items, and they're among the biggest hits with the show's staff. In addition, Guilbeau serves a wide array of smoked meats and other delights--and that's just for lunch and dinner. Guilbeau is also responsible for serving breakfast and snacks to the crew to make sure they're nourished throughout the day.
As we mentioned earlier, the Yellowstone crew absolutely loves Guilbeau's cooking. In fact, three cast members went out of their way to praise Guilbeau's work on a behind-the-scenes video.
Here's a little more about Gabe "Gator" Guilbeau, his work, and how he earned his role on Yellowstone.