WhyYellowjackets'Steven Krueger Was Naked on a Table for His Final Moments on Set in Season 3 (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Steven Krueger at the ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3 premiere on Feb. 13, 2025.Photo:Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic

Maya Dehlin Spach/FilmMagic

Warning: This story contains spoilers fromYellowjacketsseason 3, episode 6.

With season 3 just past the halfway mark, the drama — as well as all the twists and turns — continues to ramp up onYellowjackets. As a result, many storylines are seeing several characters meet their fate in unexpected ways, with Coach Ben Scott (Steven Krueger) the latest survivor to die in the wilderness.

“The cool thing about this particular character’s death is that it truly is an inflection point as far as I can tell in the rest of the series,” Krueger, 35, says. “This is the first time that the girls have truly crossed over — regardless of the context — have truly crossed over into murder. And even though it’s kind of a mercy kill that doesn’t really excuse the fact that they did kill somebody.”

Steven Krueger as Ben Scott in ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3, episode 6.Colin Bentley/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Colin Bentley/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

He adds, “The audience will soon find out, of course, that this leads to a whole chain reaction. Like, this is the first domino fall in a series of absolute chaos.”

While the actor was aware of the fact that Ben was going to die in season 3 — something he credits showrunners Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco for sharing before they even started shooting the episodes — the lead-up to his character’s death and his final days on set were still full of emotion.

Because of that, “there were a lot of tears shed along the way over these last few episodes knowing that this storyline was coming to an end,” he continues, before specifically highlighting Ben’s moments with Natalie and Misty, especially after what the three of them have been through over the course of the series. “It was hard to actually get through those scenes and know this is the last time these characters will be interacting.”

From Left: Sophie Thatcher and Steven Krueger in ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3, episode 6.Colin Bentley/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

When it comes to who actually wielded the knife, Krueger says, “It had to be Natalie that killed Coach Ben. As much as Samantha will tell you that she’s pissed off and wanted it to be Misty, I truly think it had to be Natalie. I think that was a perfect way for him to go out.” Reflecting on Ben’s final scenes with both Misty and Natalie, “It was the perfect way for those two storylines to end.”

“My last time on set, with most of the group, was actually when I was laying naked on the table and they were getting ready to carve me up,” Krueger says of the scenes that followed his death when the remaining survivors decide to eat his body, just like they did with Jackie and Javi. “I remember reading the script and seeing there was a scene where I was dead on the table and then there was a scene where my head was just on the table for whatever reason. I assumed it would actually be me when it was my head on the table, like I would just go through a hole and they would put makeup on my face and all that and then they would use a dummy for my body. And it was the exact opposite.”

From Left: Samantha Hanratty, Sophie Thatcher and Steven Krueger in ‘Yellowjackets’ season 3, episode 4.Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Kailey Schwerman/Paramount+ with SHOWTIME

Since then, “I’ve shaved it down a good amount,” he says, before admitting, “I haven’t been able to go the full, clean razor at this point because I’ve just gotten used to it a little bit. But my girlfriend and my family were all very ready for the beard to be cut and the hair to be cut. It was getting a little out of control.”

He adds, “I’m glad that I did it. I think that there was a commitment to the story that this character goes through this season and I think it read really well on screen.”

While looking back at his time on and commitment toYellowjackets, Krueger is proud of the work he got to do on the series, which marks his biggest role yet following recurring parts onThe OriginalsandRosewell: New Mexico. “Honestly, this is the hardest, most challenging role I’ve ever played,” he says. “To have something like this that’s this meaty to kind of dig into and, and be creative with and play around with, I think it’s every actor’s dream. Apart from that, I will say being involved with a show like this, it has been such a rewarding experience.”

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New episodes ofYellowjacketsseason 3 debut Fridays on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME before airing on Sundays at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

source: people.com