Finn Little, the Australian actor behind Carter on Dutton Ranch, has quietly built one of the more quietly remarkable young careers in Hollywood — and most fans have no idea where he started.
Best known to Yellowstone universe viewers as the troubled orphan taken in by Beth and Rip Wheeler, Little has carried the character of Carter from the original series through Dutton Ranch‘s first season, where he landed at the center of the finale’s biggest cliffhanger. At just 20 years old, the actor has accumulated a résumé that stretches well beyond the Paramount+ franchise — and the story behind it includes a few genuinely surprising details.
From Brisbane to the Dutton Ranch
Little was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia — something his polished American accent gives no indication of. His path to acting began at age five, when his mother enrolled him and his sister in live performances specifically to build their confidence and sharpen their public speaking, according to a 2021 interview with The Film Pie. His earliest work came through television commercials, and by age ten he had landed his first major film role in Storm Boy.
His connection to the Yellowstone world predates his role as Carter. In 2021, Little appeared in Taylor Sheridan’s film Those Who Wish Me Dead alongside Angelina Jolie, making Yellowstone a second collaboration with the writer-director rather than his introduction to him.
Nicolas Cage, Annette Bening, and the Perils of Dry Mouth
Little’s filmography has placed him opposite some of Hollywood’s biggest names, though he has admitted, with some self-awareness, that he doesn’t always arrive on set knowing who they are. In a 2024 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he acknowledged he had no idea who Nicolas Cage was before the two worked together on The Surfer, in which Cage played his father. “I knew the name Nick Cage, but I couldn’t put his face to it,” he said. “I don’t know a lot of the people I work with, which is probably pretty bad.”
That unfamiliarity did not extend to Dutton Ranch newcomer Annette Bening, who joined the series as Beulah. Little was well aware of who she was — which may have made things worse. His sole scene with her, a brief introduction between Carter and Beulah at the 10-Petal Ranch anniversary party, required nothing more than stating his name and shaking her hand. It still went sideways. “I had one line with her, and every single take I … couldn’t get it out,” he told PEOPLE. “I don’t know what it was. I had dry mouth or something.”
With Paramount+ renewing Dutton Ranch on June 24 following a record-breaking first season, and production on Season 2 expected to begin in early 2027, Little’s version of Carter will be back — though a premiere date has yet to be announced.
