When the hit TV show “Yellowstone” makes its season five debut in November, a Fort Myers family will be watching. Cypress Lake High School junior Orli Gottesman has a guest starring role as Halie, girlfriend to the character Carter. If you haven’t watched the show, Carter is being raised by John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) daughter Beth (kelly Reilly) and her new husband Rip (Cole Hauser).
“Halie is a lot like me,” Orli says. “She’s a super confident girl and she can help Carter get out of his shell. Maybe it’s because I play her that way, but she and I are super similar.”
Orli started modeling and acting while at Gateway Elementary School. She spent her middle school years in Los Angeles going to school and auditions, but COVID made the process virtual so the family moved back for her second year of high school.
It was over the summer when she auditioned for the role on “Yellowstone.” Two weeks later she was at the movies when she learned she was being considered. “I totally started freaking out,” she says. Then, on the first night of a family vacation, Orli got the part.
“I just heard my manager on the phone tell my mom they’re going to fly me out,” Orli says. “It was just amazing. I was speechless.”
Orli and her Dad left for Montana the next day and managed to return in time to finish the family trip. Since then, she’s been back to Montana three more times to record her scenes.
“The set is so naturally gorgeous,” Orli says. “And just to see the process work is amazing. Everything is so fast paced on a television show set. There are five or six cameras rolling. It’s almost surreal that it’s happening.”
Orli says half of season five is already recorded and they’ll pick up the second half in March. She’ll be ready to go when they call her back. And she’s as anxious as anybody to know what’s next for Halie, and for her. Follow her on Instagram at @orligottesman to find out.