With just four episodes remaining, Yellowstone is more than halfway through its fifth season. But Season 5, Episode 10 proved that it’s never too late to welcome a new character to the Sheridan-verse — especially one played by a familiar face.
During Sunday night’s episode, “The Apocalypse of Change,” a deeply unsettling realization inspired Kayce (Luke Grimes) to pick up the phone and give his old pal Cade McPhereson a call.
Fans of popular shows like ABC’s Will Trent, Apple TV+’s Black Bird, or ABC’s 2015 series Quantico likely recognized Cade as Jake McLaughlin. But if you aren’t familiar with the 42-year-old actor’s past work, or you simply want a play-by-play of Cade’s conversation (and history) with Kayce, we’ve got you covered.
So who is Cade McPhereson on Yellowstone? And what do we know about Jake McLaughlin, the actor who plays him? Here’s everything to know about the exciting new addition to Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2’s cast.
Who Is Cade McPhereson On Yellowstone?
Before we get to the Cade McPhereson call, it’s crucial to recap the events that led to Kayce’s desperate dial. Yellowstone Season 5, Episode 10 showed Beth (Kelly Reilly) finally marching into Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) office and confronting him about their dad’s (Kevin Costner) death, only for Jamie to keep quiet, avoid eye contact, and all but confirm to her that he played a role in the Dutton patriarch’s demise and John didn’t die by suicide like police initially suspected.
After Beth threatened Jamie’s life and walked out of his office, she whispered “I knew it I fucking knew it” and whipped out her phone to call Kayce. “I took the liberty of looking myself. It was him. He didn’t even deny it. He just stared at the fucking floor — couldn’t even muster up a fucking lie,” she told her brother. “He couldn’t look me in the eye.”
When Kayce suggested that Jamie didn’t kill their father alone, Beth revealed that Sarah (Dawn Oliveri) aka the “fucking viper who lays in his bed every night” was an accomplice, which viewers already know to be true, since we saw her order the hit herself.
As Kayce processed the news, he bit his lip bloody and assured Beth he’d “make some phone calls.” Next thing we knew, he was dialing Cade and telling him he had a problem. Cade told Kayce to hang up the phone, download an app, transfer his contacts, and call him back using the app.
Kayce, driving his truck, pulled over the follow instructions. And Monica and Tate, who were following him, suspected that something was wrong. Kayce attempted to assure Monica that he was OK and was simply taking care of business, but she understandably didn’t buy it. When Kayce called Cade back, Cade told him he hadn’t heard about John’s death as he just returned to the country last night.
As Cade was putting away his guns, Kayce said, “They said it was suicide. Ain’t what it was. You know who’s doing that kind of work these days?”
Cade explained that he knew a few people in Houston doing “some really dirty shit” related to “corporate espionage, intel, evidence planting, asset infiltration, agitation.” He called them “a bunch of ex company guys,” but noted that even contracts in Ukraine likely wouldn’t do a job this high profile, considering it’d be “a $40 to $50 million hit.”
Determined to avenge his father’s death, Kayce asked, “You got any names? Any company guys we used to roll with?” Cade said, “Let me make some calls. Listen, brother. You be real careful sniffing around these fuckers. And I mean real careful. You hang in there, I’ll get back to you.”
Judging by the way their conversation ended, it’s safe to assume we haven’t seen the last of Cade on Yellowstone yet, so let’s learn a bit more about actor Jake McLaughlin, shall we?
Who Plays Cade McPhereson On Yellowstone? Meet Jake McLaughlin
As noted above, Cade McPhereson is played by Jake McLaughlin, a 42-year-old actor and former soldier. Per IMDb, McLaughlin kickstarted his acting career in 2007 with a role in In the Valley of Elah and has amassed nearly 40 credits over the years, including roles in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, Criminal Minds, Crash, Grey’s Anatomy, Believe, and more.
McLaughlin is likely best known for roles as Ryan Booth on Quantico, Michael Ormewood on Will Trent, Gary Hall in Black Bird, Specialist Gordon Bonner In the Valley of Elah, Doc in Savages, and a soldier in The Day the Earth Stood Still. For those curious about his off-screen life, McLaughlin is expecting a fifth child with wife Stephanie, whom he married in 2004.
Prior to his career in Hollywood, McLaughlin, an Iraq war veteran, enlisted the Army in 2002 following 9/11. Per the Los Angeles Times, McLaughlin served as a U.S. Army infantryman and his battalion was the first on the ground for the invasion of Baghdad in 2003.
When he returned home from service, the LATimes reported, “he was pouring concrete and studying to be a truck driver” when his former neighbor hooked him up with casting directors Sarah Finn and Randi Hiller, who were looking for veterans for Paul Haggis’ In the Valley of Elah. McLaughlin was cast, and the role not only served as his big break in Hollywood, but helped him fulfill his longtime dream of becoming an actor.
Nearly two decades later, McLaughlin’s on-screen career is still going strong and he’s still being cast in roles that honor his real-life service. Here’s hoping we haven’t seen the last of him on Yellowstone this season.
New episodes of Yellowstone Season 5, Part 2 premiere Sundays at 8:00 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.
