Kevin Costner Was Not the First A-Lister to Say ‘Yes’ to Playing John Dutton on ‘Yellowstone’

Imagine anyone other than Kevin Costner as John Dutton on Yellowstone — seems inconceivable, right? Yet, at one point, another Hollywood heavyweight was primed for the role of the patriarch of the Dutton clan.

The behind-the-scenes story of how Costner eventually landed the part is a fascinating tale of miscommunication and artistic vision. Here’s a closer look at how Costner landed the iconic role of John Dutton. 

Kevin Costner almost lost his ‘Yellowstone’ role to another A-Lister 

It is difficult to picture anyone other than Costner embodying the role of John Dutton in Yellowstone. Interestingly, there was a time when Robert Redford, best known as the Sundance Kid, was a prime contender for the role of the Dutton family head.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan revealed that producers felt the project required a high-profile lead to secure a deal. But Sheridan and the producers weren’t exactly on the same page.

The Yellowstone creator proposed Costner for the role, but the higher-ups could not envision him in the part. They countered with Redford. They even told Sheridan they would greenlight the project if he could get the acclaimed actor.

Sheridan then embarked on a trip to Sundance to meet Redford, who agreed to play John Dutton. The Yellowstone showrunner could not wait to tell the producers the good news. 

“I drive to Sundance and spend the day with him, and he agrees to play John Dutton. I call the senior vice president in charge of production and say, ‘I got him!’ ‘You got who?’ ‘Robert Redford,’” Sheridan recalled. “’What?!’ ‘You said if I got Robert Redford, you’d greenlight the show.'”

This is why Kevin Costner, not Robert Redford, got the part of John Dutton

Unfortunately, Sheridan didn’t get the expected response after sharing the news with the senior VP of production. One would assume the executives would have been overjoyed to have Redford, a notable celebrity, on board. But the reality was a bit different.

When Sheridan delivered the promising news, the executives told him they had been seeking a “Robert Redford type,” not Redford himself.

Sheridan didn’t disclose why the producers chose not to move forward with Redford. There could be several explanations.

Perhaps Redford’s salary demands exceeded what the show could pay. After all, the producers couldn’t predict that Yellowstone would eventually become such a massive hit.

Alternatively, the producers may not have felt that Redford was the right fit for the role. Regardless of the reason, in the end, Redford didn’t land the part – Costner did. And judging by the outcome, it seems they made the right call.

These celebrities said ‘no’ to Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone’

Redford wasn’t the only famous face to pass on a Yellowstone role. Sheridan had initially approached Sam Elliott for a part, but Elliott turned him down.

On the bright side, this conversation paved the way for Elliott’s appearance in 1883, so it wasn’t an entire loss.

As reported by Taste of Country, country musician Cody Johnson was almost cast in Yellowstone’s fifth season. However, his touring schedule clashed with the show’s filming, and he could not commit.

The role initially intended for Johnson ultimately went to another country artist, Lainey Wilson.

Interestingly, Yellowstone wasn’t always destined for Paramount. Sheridan initially proposed the show to HBO. However, the network declined, claiming it was too unconventional for their Western genre lineup.

In hindsight, this decision appears to have been a misstep, as Yellowstone has found significant success with Paramount.