Cole Hauser Says He Will ‘Miss’ ‘Unbelievable Cast’ Of ‘Yellowstone’ (Exclusive)

Cole Hauser looks back at his Yellowstone lovingly experience – while also looking forward to what may come next in the Dutton universe.

Hauser, 49, who plays Rip Wheeler on the hit Paramount series, tells PEOPLE while catching up on his new collection with Lucky Brand that he will “miss” the “incredible cast” of the show now that its fifth season is approaching a end.

“It’s been an incredible experience the last few weeks just seeing people out and about and their recognition of the show and the character and what it’s meant to them,” he says of the fan reception to the highly anticipated Yellowstone return, which took place on November 10, nearly two years after its last episode was released.

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“For me, it’s always the dream to be able to do that, to educate people, enlighten and entertain them,” he adds of his work on the show.

With Yellowstone season finale, which airs Dec. 15, Hauser questions what’s next for the Duttons and where his character might fit into it all.

“I think America has spoken. They still love the show. Obviously, there are just tons of people who come together every Sunday with their families, and we give them the experience of taking them out of their own living room and putting them in Montana and entertain them,” he says. “And I think at the end of the day, it’s just that simple.”

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Although he remains mum on specifics, Hauser teases, “We’ll see what happens over the next year or so, and we’ll see what’s next. Hopefully we can continue to get into people’s living rooms and entertain them as we have for the past seven years.”

During an October conversation with PEOPLE, Hauser also briefly touched on the idea of ​​expanding the main thing Yellowstone story beyond the current fifth season.

Although he defined himself as “just a hired gun” and not a decision-maker about the show’s future, he admitted that “it would be a shame to stop a great thing. I think the numbers speak for themselves.”

The series finale of Yellowstone will be broadcast on Sunday 15 December at 8 PM ET/PT on the Paramount Network.