The Gold Rush Star Who's About To Hit A Major Milestone

Discovery's "Gold Rush" is a show that, by the nature of its set-up, has a vast amount of turnover within its recurring cast. One of the first things the series teaches you is that gold mining is a grueling profession that only a select few are fit to handle, and even some of the most experienced gold miners can end up losing everything if they're not tough enough. The most notable departure from the series is, of course, Todd Hoffman, who starred on the series for eight seasons. Many more have come and gone over the years, with some departing for personal reasons and others just unable to handle the rigorous schedule and harsh conditions inherent to the job.

Those who have managed to stick around in the series are considered the best of the best, including the infamous Tony Beets, who has been a series regular ever since he first joined "Gold Rush" back in Season 2. While other series leads, like Parker Schnabel, don't exactly fit the image of your typical "gold miner," Beets genuinely looks like a grizzled prospector straight out of the Wild West. His thick white beard and iconic Dutch accent make him one of the most distinctive cast members in the whole series. He's also one of the most successful, holding the highest net worth of any of the main "Gold Rush" cast.

Turns out, Beets is also about to hit a major milestone within the series — one that few others have ever come close to securing.

Tony Beets is rapidly approaching his 200th episode in "Gold Rush," something that hardly any of the other miners on the Discovery series (outside of the main cast) have been able to do. According to the show's IMDb page, Beets is at the top of the cast member list with 199 episode credits to his name, spanning from his first appearance in 2011 to the present day. Only Parker Schnabel has more episodes under his belt, having appeared in an astounding 239 episodes. There's a slight discrepancy when you look at Beets' personal IMDb page, which credits him with 192 episode appearances, but that hardly diminishes the momentum the miner has in securing this milestone. To appear in over 200 episodes is a remarkable achievement for any series, but to do so in a show as brutal and unforgiving as "Gold Rush" is even more impressive.

Unfortunately, it's unclear when exactly Beets will hit this amazing milestone. He's not listed in the description for the episode set to air on Friday, March 4, titled "Whatever It Takes." Discovery's promo for the episode details storylines for Schnabel, Rick Ness, and Freddy Dodge but noticeably excludes any mention of Beets. It's not unusual for the Dutch miner to be absent from an episode here or there, and indeed he was already absent from an earlier episode this season titled "Rebirth of the Monster Red."

However, Beets will be in the March 11 episode "Rally Valley Bonanza," which will see him take on a new prospecting project in Keno. So fans will just have to wait and see whether or not Beets will hit his legendary milestone before the end of Season 12.