Crewmembers Were ‘So Upset’ for ‘Weeks’ After Riley Green’s Character Was Killed Off (Exclusive)

Ash Santos tells PEOPLE about the widespread disappointment on the show’s set after Garrett, played by Riley Green, died in episode 11

Riley Green as Garrett on ‘Marshals’. Credit :Fred Hayes/CBS

NEED TO KNOW

Riley Green made his acting debut as Garrett on Marshals
His character died after a five-episode run, and his costar Ash Santos tells PEOPLE how the show’s crew reacted to the character’s death
Santos says the country singer is “very sweet” and “was so kind to our cast and our crew”

Riley Green made an impact on the Marshals set.

The country singer, 37, made his acting debut on the CBS Yellowstone spinoff as Garrett, an old Navy SEAL teammate of Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Cal (Logan Marshall-Green) who stuck around in Montana after unexpectedly arriving at East Camp.

Garrett also struck up a surprising romance with Andrea (Ash Santos), Kayce and Cal’s Marshal teammate, during his time in Montana, but his journey was cut short after he died following a barn fire on Kayce’s ranch.

Santos, 32, tells PEOPLE she knew how Green’s full character arc looked, but the singer was eager to star in even more episodes than he was originally signed on for.

“He joked, he was like, ‘Damn, I was really hoping I’d stick around longer,’ and we were like, ‘With your schedule? You’re always at some concert.’ “

Riley Green as Garrett on ‘Marshals’.Zach Dilgard/CBS

It was an emotional goodbye when he left — both for Green himself and the show’s crew. “Our hair-and-makeup team, especially, those women loved him,” Santos says.

“We had people on our crew who were so upset with [showrunner] Spencer [Hudnut] for weeks when they got that episode.”

Santos says it was “easy” for Green to transition his musical skills to acting chops. “I think when you’re an artist, you are so in tune in that way creatively that it makes it easy to pivot into something else. And then when you’re a singer, you’re telling stories all the time with your songs.”

“It was easy for him, and it definitely showed on screen. He has a natural ability,” she says. “He’s just so fun.”

Ash Santos and Riley Green in ‘Marshals’.CBS

“He’s very sweet. He was so kind to our cast and our crew,” Santos continues. “I mean, the day that he wrapped, he was flying out — he was performing in a show that night — and while he was getting in the car, he was already having flowers delivered for the hair-and-makeup team to say thank you.”

Green is “just a really, really wonderful person with a great team around him.”

The season 1 finale of Marshals airs Sunday, May 24, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.