Taylor Sheridan’s epic Western drama, Yellowstone, has a brilliant ensemble of cast and is no less than a treasure trove of talent. While it made actors like Cole Hauser a household name, it propelled already famous stars like Kevin Costner to new heights. Yellowstone also allowed underrated actors to gain footing and brought them to the mainstream.
One of these many stars is Jefferson White, who portrays the fan-favorite cowboy called Jimmy Hurdstorm. However, White was initially offered the chance to play John Dutton’s troubled son Kayce Dutton. Yet, he rejected the role, thinking he might not be right for it. However, he might regret saying no to the role, seeing how much he could have potentially earned.
Yellowstone Star Jefferson White was Slated to Star as Kayce Dutton
Kayce Dutton is the son of Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton and one of the lead stars of the hit Paramount TV show, Yellowstone. A complex and troubled character, he usually has a strained relationship with his father. An ex-Navy SEAL, he is married to Monica and has a son named Tate.
And this is the character that Jefferson White, who portrays Jimmy Hurdstrom, was supposed to be auditioning for. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor revealed,
So I read the script in 2016, my agent sent me the script, and they originally had me auditioning for the role of Kayce. I was so immediately obsessed with the script and role: Kayce. That’s such an incredible part. But I also recognized right away, ‘that’s not me’. That’s an ex-navy SEAL ultimate badass cowboy, I loved the script so much, but I knew I wasn’t quite right for that part.
Knowing he would have to put in a lot of effort to convincingly play a part that he did not relate with, White instead went on to audition for Jimmy, as he recounted in his interview,
So I went through the script looking for anything else that might fit. I immediately connected with Jimmy. That felt right down the middle for me. A guy trying desperately to keep up, in over his head, trying to survive in a world that’s really new to him. That resonated with me.
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Thankfully, seeing his audition tape for Jimmy was convincing enough for everyone to cast him as the troubled cowboy, who has one of the best character arcs in the entirety of Yellowstone. While we are thankful the actor decided to play Jimmy Hurdstrom, he might regret seeing the salary Luke Grimes has been getting.
Yellowstone Star Jefferson White Might Regret Not Playing Kayce Dutton
Jefferson White has won the hearts of countless people with his effortless and daunting portrayal of Jimmy Hurdstrom. One of the most fan-favorite characters of the entire Yellowstone saga, White, is also expected to star in the Yellowstone spin-off series 6666 (see Dexterto).
While his self-awareness and willingness to portray a more convincing character is commendable, White might regret seeing the salary that Luke Grimes has been taking home for portraying Kayce Dutton, the on-screen son of Kevin Costner.
As per Taste of Country, the $500K worth star (via Celebrity Net Worth) was making $200,000 per episode for his portrayal of the youngest Dutton. A massive $2 million a year, it was recently reported by Puck News (via NY Post) that the actor has also been demanding a raise to appear in the fifth and final season of the show.
Also, in discussion to star in the Matthew McConaughey-starrer spin-off, he was approached to appear in now canceled sixth season of Yellowstone as well, which Paramount must pay him for due to contractual obligations. Seeing that White’s net worth is $500K as well (via We Got This Covered), such a salary would surely have made a positive impact on his life.