Last year, news broke out that Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone will end with its fifth season, whose second half is slated to premiere later this year. This was apparently due to Kevin Costner bidding goodbye to his role as the Dutton patriarch in the acclaimed western, with sources citing the alleged tension between Costner and Sheridan as the reason.
But long before the alleged behind-the-scenes drama surfaced, the duo had a back-and-forth in season 2, with Sheridan revealing the Golden Globe winner was very upset.
Taylor Sheridan Didn’t Take Kevin Costner’s Concerns Into Consideration
Although reports previously claimed the showrunner told Kevin Costner to “stick to acting”, following the actor’s concerns about the direction of his character, Sheridan denounced these claims. However, the Mayor of KIngstown creator recounted the time when The Bodyguard star was left perturbed after the showrunner refused to give in to his demands.
Season 2 of Yellowstone takes a dark turn with the character of John Dutton, who takes drastic measures in order to rescue Tate Dutton. While emotional for sure, Costner was initially against the idea of this dark turn in Dutton’s story, but when he approached the showrunner with his concerns, Taylor Sheridan was having none of it.
Sheridan recalled (via THR):
“There was a time in Season 2 when he was very upset and said the character wasn’t going in the direction he wanted. I said, ‘Kevin, you do remember that I told you this is essentially The Godfather on the largest ranch in Montana? Are you that surprised that the Godfather is killing people?’ What he’s clung to is [Dutton’s] commitments to his family and way of life.”
While things did escalate between the two back in season 2, considering season 3 brought back the character to his roots and earned Costner a Golden Globe, Sheridan said, “I think it’s working.”
Kevin Costner Did Make One Last Ditch Effort Before Calling It Quits
Following his exit from Yellowstone, rumors emerged claiming the apparent tension between the showrunner and the actor might’ve played a part in his departure from Yellowstone.
But before calling it quits, the actor revealed he made one last-ditch effort to return for season 6 by asking his representatives to have the studio pay him whatever number they came up with. Per the Robin Hood star, the number they came up with was $12 million, but the studio walked away.
He told People:
“I couldn’t help them any more. We tried to negotiate, they offered me less money than previous seasons”
Furthermore, the actor also cited creative issues as one of the factors contributing to his exit, which could mean the rumors surrounding Sheridan and Costner might’ve some truth to them after all.