WINCHESTER, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some locals are playing a very visible role in one of the shows the country's talking about. They aren't up on the screen themselves, but chances are, you've seen their work.
The Winchester Hat Corporation has hats on the show "Yellowstone." This is far from the first time their work's been seen in such a high-profile project.
"When you come to work here, it's like nobody knows out in the public what you do," laughed Winchester Hat Corporation General Manager Jeff Teeters. "What are y'all making up there?"
Teeters said the factory is as familiar and as much a part of the city's story as anything around Winchester.
"You never know who's wearing one of our hats," he smiled.
Teeters told us their hats have been worn by Jim Carrey in "The Mask," and by Clint Eastwood, Paul Simon and Lady Gaga.
"The new movie coming out, 'Oppenheimer' — that hat's ours," Teeters continued.
What the factory creates is what's called hat bodies. They're shipped from Winchester to custom hatters across the country.
On a wall in the factory are pictures of Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly wearing a variety of the factory's hats. Both Reilly and Costner star in "Yellowstone."
So, why does Teeters think "Yellowstone" has become so beloved since its 2018 debut?
"I guess a lot of the men want to be Rip, and a lot of the women would like to have a Rip in their life, is my take on it," Teeters laughed.
The factory isn't just making hat bodies for movies. A lot of their business is hats for highway patrols across the country and for Army drill sergeants.
Teeters will tell you it's a pretty cool addition to the Winchester story to be contributing to "Yellowstone," something so many people love.
"It's very humbling, very humbling," he said.
