Kevin Costner starred as the family patriarch in Yellowstone for five seasons, but he was upset the creators didn’t defend him against the rumors surrounding his departure from the series.
In an interview with People, Kevin Costner finally explainedwhy he left the popular series, citing lack of support andproduction issues.
“I read all the stories,”saidCostner. “I was disappointed that nobody on their side… ever stepped up to defend what I actually did for them. There came a moment where I thought, ‘Wow, when is somebody going to say something about what Ihavedone versus what Ihaven’tdone?'”
Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone was originally pitched to Costner as one season and “like a long movie” that fit the actor’s style. But the studios wanted more and Sheridan happily obliged knowing he had the writing ability to expand the storyline.
With Costner being afan of Sheridan’s work, he ultimately stayed for all five seasons of Yellowstone.
Rumors included an “ego” problembetween Sheridan and Costner, scheduling conflicts, and Costner choosing Horizon: An American Saga over Yellowstone. But according to the actor, he simply couldn’t be left in limbo waiting for a new season.
“There was a moment where that show for me stopped for 14 months… That’s the fact. I could have done a lot of things in that time, but I wasn’t aware that that [hold-up] was going to happen,” said the actor.
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But ultimately, “In the very end, I couldn’t do any more for it than I had already done.”
Yellowstone is available to stream on Paramount and Peacock. You can catch up on why fans preferthe 1883 Dutton family, thecast returning for the spinoff without Costner, andTV shows streamingthis month.
Gabriela Silva was a Senior TV & Movies Writer on Dexerto’s US team, specializing in Netflix originals, K-Drama, and Disney+ shows. She also has bylines at ScreenRant, Pop Br, and Showbiz Cheat Sheet.
