Yellowstone is the hit show about the Dutton family and their ranch outside Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The show features several big-name actors, bringing life to the formidable characters that have captured viewers’ hearts.
Let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating behind-the-scenes tidbits and secrets surrounding Yellowstone that every fan needs to know! Read on to learn more!
Kevin Costner Was The First To Read The Pilot
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Before Viacom picked up Yellowstone for their new Paramount Network, screenwriter Taylor Sheridan sent the pilot to actor Kevin Costner who immediately signed on to play Dutton patriarch John Dutton (Deadline Hollywood).
Costner’s inclusion on the show attracted Viacom executives, helping seal the deal. Costner, known for playing roles with strong moral convictions, gave life to the character of John that no other actor could live up to.
Cole Hauser Was Meant To Play Rip Wheeler
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Taylor Sheridan knew who he wanted to play many of his characters in Yellowstone, including Cole Hauser as Rip Wheeler.
No audition was needed for Hauser, who was already friends with Sheridan (Variety). Before filming began on Yellowstone, Hauser had a significant back injury after falling off a horse in a previous role. Ironically, he found that horse riding helped him recover faster.
Taylor Sheridan Wrote Two Scripts For HBO Before They Dropped It
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Taylor Sheridan wrote two scripts for HBO back when Yellowstone was set to air on the premium television channel. Unfortunately, the two scripts weren’t enough to keep the show on the network.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Sheridan recalled when the HBO vice president told him, “Nobody wants to see this. Nobody wants to see a movie about this. And you don’t understand why anybody is sitting out there in the first place. The whole thing should be a park.”
Gil Birmingham’s Character Chief Thomas Highwater Was Written With Him In Mind
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Gil Birmingham, who plays Chief Thomas Highwater, has had a long professional relationship with show co-creator Thomas Sheridan, who told him in 2016 that he had written a role with Birmingham in mind (Deadline Hollywood).
Since then, Birmingham has praised the accurate portrayal of the Native American community in Yellowstone, saying, “It gives it a level of inherent experience that no other writer or artist could bring to it, and people are really coming to appreciate and be exposed to a real authentic portrayal of the Native community.”
60 Percent Of The Show Was Filmed In Utah Until Season Four
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About 60 percent of the show’s first three seasons were filmed in Utah, primarily due to the tax rebates offered by the state to film productions.
But due to lower caps for the tax rebate, and with the show standing to lose money, Paramount moved to Montana, where the tax rebate caps were much higher, at $20 million (Missoulian).
Yellowstone Was Originally Only Going To Be 10 Episodes
Yellowstone was originally only going to be a 10-episode limited series. It wasn’t until Kevin Costner agreed to sign on for season one and subsequent seasons that the show became a drama (TV Guide).
Costner recalls the moment, saying, “I had to make a real fundamental decision. I thought actually that if I had said, ‘Well, now I’m not doing it,’ maybe it might’ve crumbled before it got started.”
Kelly Reilly, Who Plays Beth Dutton, Is An English actress
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Despite her convincing role as tough American ranch daughter Beth Dutton, the actress who plays her actually hails from Chessington in London, England.
To preserve her headspace in keeping her character’s accent, Reilly hardly spoke to anyone on set in between shots. Explaining her decision to keep quiet, she told the Daily Mail, “[..] I’d feel like an idiot speaking [to the cast and crew] in my American accent. I couldn’t make peace with that, it’s just bananas. So it was easier to just not talk, and not let anyone know me for about two seasons.”
Taylor Sheridan Took Actors To “Cowboy Camp”
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Native Texan Taylor Sheridan is a real-life cowboy and ranch owner skilled at horse riding. So, it’s no wonder he demanded his actors live up to the cowboy lifestyle.
According to The Pioneer Woman, Sheridan took his actors to “cowboy camp,” where actors were given a first-hand experience in cowboy life, learning how to ride a horse, pack a mule, and survive as a cowboy out in the mountains.
Kevin Costner Was Paid $500,000 Per Episode During Season One
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Paramount, looking to rebrand itself from Spike TV and attract A-list actors to upcoming shows, was willing to pay Kevin Costner $500,000 per episode during season one (Men’s Health).
Kevin Kay, then head of Paramount Network, said the move “[shows] that we’re open for business and willing to pay top-tier actors whatever their quotes are. It sends a message, and that’s what we want to do.” Since season one, the actor now reportedly makes $1.3 million per episode of season five.
The Actors Do Their Own Stunts On Horseback
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Perhaps thanks to Taylor Sheridan’s “cowboy camp” efforts, many characters have taken up the once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform their own horse-riding and roping stunts.
Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton, explained to Looper how after his stunt double rounded up some Mustangs Sheridan asked if he wanted to try it himself. On the experience, Grimes said, “I was scared to death, but of course, I wanted to try it. And to this day, the greatest day I’ve ever had on a set.”
Yellowstone Is Filmed Like A Movie To Give A Deeper Cinematic Feel
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Taylor Sheridan revealed that Yellowstone is filmed like a movie to give the show a deeper cinematic feel, including writing the entirety of season one without breaks, so that it reads like a movie script.
Cinematographer Ben Richardson explains that the show is filmed using a 2.0:1 aspect ratio, typically seen in movies (IMDb). Prime lenses are heavily used, as well as longer lenses, to capture the beauty of the Montana landscape.
The Dutton’s Chef Is A Real-Life Chef
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The Dutton family chef, Gator, is played by Gabriel “Gator” Guilbeau, the real-life chef for the Yellowstone cast and crew (Delish).
Gator comes from a long line of Southern cooks and has since made a name for himself in Hollywood as the head of craft services for several productions, including The Maze Runner, Jurassic World, Scream Queens, and Terminator Genisys.
Taylor Sheridan’s Favorite Character Is Beth Dutton
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Kelly Reilly’s character Beth Dutton is the only daughter in the Dutton family. She’s smart, feisty, prone to talking with no filter, and always getting her way.
Sheridan explained to The Hollywood Reporter, “With Kelly, you can truly say anything with Beth Dutton. With a character who just simply doesn’t care about the consequences or the reaction to her words, she just refuses to be weak.”
The Yellowstone Story Has Affected The Crew
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The story that drives Yellowstone is ultimately about family and all the pain, misunderstanding, and love in households around the country.
As Taylor Sheridan shared with The Hollywood Reporter, “[when] you’re making a show about a family, with this family, it resonates. There has been many times we’ve been on set, like, I had a crew member come up to me, and he was crying, and said, I had that conversation with my dad. It’s moving stuff.”
