Longtime “Yellowstone” fans will have noticed by now that the series has an ongoing penchant for flashbacks that help to flesh out the lives and motivations of its characters. From Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Jamie’s (Wes Bentley) long-running feud to how Rip (Cole Hauser) came to be employed at the ranch in the first place, the series regularly delves into the past to help explain the present.
This has been the case for John Dutton (Kevin Costner/Josh Lucas) as well throughout the series, even if we don’t get a real deep dive into John’s past on “Yellowstone” until Season 5. Lucas has been a regular fixture of the series off and on for years, often in other characters’ flashbacks. One may think that to have an idea of how to play his role, Lucas spent a lot of time with Costner behind the scenes. But in an interview with Collider, the actor revealed that both men were deliberately kept apart while on set.
When asked about how intimidating it must be to play a younger version of Costner’s character, he explained that they didn’t cross paths much. “Luckily, he’s not there when I’m shooting. We’re almost kept separate on purpose,” the “Yellowstone” actor said. “Taylor [Sheridan] and I talked about the idea of ‘The Godfather.’ When [Robert] De Niro was playing Brando, he wasn’t attempting to look or act like Marlon Brando,” Lucas explained. “He was attempting to play [a younger Don Vito Corleone]. That’s what we talked about.”
Josh Lucas was honored to play the younger John Dutton