Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone might have had quite a problem if the lead actor had been very different. With lead actor Kevin Costner attached to the iconic role of John Dutton, the series has been greatly received by the world.
In an alternate reality, the series could have ended much sooner than how it is currently ongoing if they had hired another actor. With the studio wanting another veteran actor in the role, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone had initially sought actor Robert Redford, who announced his retirement the same year the series was released.
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone Could Have Ended Much Sooner!
Before Kevin Costner was set in the lead role, there was another veteran actor attached to the series. Known for some iconic movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and A Walk in the Woods, veteran actor Robert Redford was attached to the role of John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone.
In a 2023 interview with The Hollywood Reporter (via ScreenRant), Taylor Sheridan recalled that the studio behind Yellowstone wanted Robert Redford for the role of John Dutton quite desperately! The studio and Redford had even made a deal about the project.
“They said, ‘We want Robert Redford. They said, ‘If you can get us Robert Redford, we’ll greenlight the pilot.’”
The veteran actor even agreed to the role of John Dutton and the production of Yellowstone started. After finally airing in 2018, Yellowstone became one of the biggest drama series out there. However, if Robert Redford had been attached to the role, Yellowstone would have ended years earlier! Redford announced his retirement back in 2018, the same year when Yellowstone made its debut. Sheridan revealed that HBO treated them with much hostility. Recalling a conversation, Sheridan revealed how a VP from HBO talked with the series creator.
“We’re HBO, we’re avant-garde, we’re trendsetters. This feels like a step backward.”
Although Redford quit the series while it was transitioning from HBO to Paramount, it would have been a series-killer if the actor had joined the series and shortly after, announced his retirement. Thus, Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone was spared and Kevin Costner later portrayed the lead role of John Dutton.
Zoe Saldaña On Working With Taylor Sheridan
Zoe Saldaña recently worked with Taylor Sheridan in the 2023 series Special Ops: Lioness. Being a thriller series, Saldaña revealed to BBC Radio 1 that Sheridan was like a machine. The actress stated that Sheridan didn’t hold back when it came to honesty.
“It’s a great feeling. You really have to keep up. He’s a machine. He says everything that’s on his mind, very honest. But the same way he gives it he can also take it.”
Although the creator is into other projects, his most famous series, Yellowstone, received a rating of 8.7/10 on IMDB and an average of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes. The 2018 series is available to stream on Peacock Premium in the U.S.