Yellowstone's child star is almost unrecognisable in new thriller alongside A-lister

Daily Record

10-05-2025

Finn Little, who played Carter in the hit Western drama, has taken on a new role in the thriller The Surfer
Yellowstone enthusiasts are encouraged to dive into a new thriller featuring one of the series' most prominent emerging talents.
Finn Little, 18, has made a name for himself playing the young ranch hand Carter in the acclaimed Western series, alongside stars like Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, and Kevin Costner.
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Having appeared in 24 episodes to date, Carter is seen honing his skills under the tutelage of Reilly's formidable Beth Dutton and her spouse Rip Wheeler (played by Hauser), while also picking up some crucial life lessons.
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Now stepping into his late teens, Little has matured significantly for his latest cinematic venture in The Surfer, sharing the screen with none other than Nicolas Cage.
Not only does he appear more grown-up compared to his earlier Yellowstone days, but Little also surprises by using his authentic Brisbane accent in this Australian-based movie, which might take some fans by surprise, reports the Mirror US.
In the suspenseful flick directed by Lorcan Finnegan, Little takes on the role of 'The Kid', a character who is the son of Cage's unnamed protagonist and finds himself menaced by a gang of local surfers.
Despite the daunting task of acting alongside the esteemed Nic Cage, it turns out Little was somewhat oblivious to Cage's celebrity status. "He was gloriously not aware of Nic Cage being a big actor," revealed Finnegan in an interview with Express Online.
"We had a casting director from Australia, Jane Norris, and she suggested him. All the cast are Australian, apart from Nic. We had a lot of actors to get for the film, locally, and she was great at putting people forward.
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"Finn auditioned, he did a self-tape and then we did a Zoom.
"It's tricky because when you're trying to find someone who could possibly look like Nic's son, as well, and be Australian, we were still toying with the idea of whether he would have an Australian accent or an American accent.
"We decided to keep his Australian accent, but he does a good American accent, obviously."
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Director Finnegan shared an anecdote about Little's nonchalant reaction to working with Cage. "I remember, he arrived in Australia quite early, before Nic got there," he said.
During a walk to a beach location, Finnegan gauged Little's thoughts on acting alongside Cage.
"We were walking along, down to the beach to show him the location. I asked him how he felt about making a movie with Nic Cage and he was like, 'Yeah... yeah, I've heard of him. Yeah, pretty cool'. Just not fazed."
While Little's future projects post-Yellowstone remain unconfirmed, there's buzz that he might reprise his role in the franchise's upcoming spin-off featuring Beth and Rip.