Why Sheriff Wade From Dutton Ranch Looks So Familiar
"Dutton Ranch" Season 1 was always going to feature a high body count, and Sheriff Wade has added to it. He's the type of cop who's nice to some folks but also happy to shoot unarmed men and claim self-defense. But actor Josh Stewart is suited for the role, as he has a history of playing cops on the small screen.
Fans of NBC's best-ever 10 p.m. shows will recall Stewart's turn as Officer Brendan Finney on "Third Watch." We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention Josh Stewart's long-time recurring role on "Criminal Minds" as J.J. Jureau's husband, Detective William LaMontagne Jr. — a character he played from Season 2 to Season 16 of the procedural series.
Still, there's more to Stewart's arsenal than playing cops. Some viewers will associate him with the washed-up actor Holt McLaren on FX's "Dirt," a short-lived series about the world of tabloid reporting. The underrated drama is also notable for uniting Courteney Cox and Jennifer Aniston after "Friends" ended, but it failed to replicate the sitcom's success.
Dutton Ranch actor Josh Stewart's other TV and movie projects
Sheriff Wade isn't the only Josh Stewart character who's good with firearms. Prior to joining the Taylor Sheridan universe, the actor portrayed a villainous sniper on "Shooter" — a role that saw him go up against Ryan Phillippe's Bob Lee Swagger. Elsewhere, fans of superhero and vigilante fare probably remember Stewart's tenure on "The Punisher." This one sees him play John Pilgrim, a religiously motivated assassin who wants to eliminate Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) in Season 2.
On the big-screen front, Stewart has become a favorite of director Christopher Nolan. The actor can be found in some of his most popular blockbusters, namely "The Dark Knight Rises," "Interstellar," and "Tenet." Stewart is also part of the sprawling ensemble for the 2026 film "The Odyssey," whose cast includes Tom Holland, Matt Damon, Zendaya, and many more.
Horror fans, meanwhile, will know Stewart from the "Collector" franchise and "Insidious: The Last Key." In 2013, he also starred in and directed "The Hunted," a found-footage flick about hunters who aren't welcome in a spooky forest. Be that as it may, the horrors of Texas crime depicted on "Dutton Ranch" are just as unnerving.