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Taylor Sheridan kept a 'Yellowstone' star away from Kevin Costner for a special reason

"With Kevin, it was different,” a ‘Yellowstone’ actor said about working with the show's star Kevin Costner.

The behind-the-scenes conflict has been common in the popular TV show 'Yellowstone,' as controversies piled up before the show's finale. Playing the role of John Dutton, the patriarch of the Yellowstone Ranch, Kevin Costner has been the show's face since its 2018 premiere, captivating viewers. The series' enormous popularity can also be attributed largely to Costner's compelling performance. Interestingly, Josh Lucas, who portrayed a younger version of Dutton in the series, stated in an interview that he never met Costner on the set of 'Yellowstone.'

When Lucas called Costner an "icon," he was asked if sharing the set with such a legend felt intimidating. Surprisingly, the 'American Psycho' star revealed that creator Taylor Sheridan intentionally kept them apart on set, preventing any interaction between the two. As reported by Fandom Wire, he said, “Luckily, he’s not there when I’m shooting. We’re almost kept separate on purpose. Taylor 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. He was attempting to play the character. That’s what we talked about.” Lucas shared that Sheridan wanted their portrayals of the character to have clear differences.

During the same interview, Lucas was asked what it was like for him to take on playing the younger version of Costner. He said, “Anytime you’re playing a personality that’s iconic and real, it’s harder to do it when the person is an actor. I’ve had it happen a couple of times. With Don Haskins for Glory Road, I had a real coach there with me, helping me through it. It’s an amazing challenge." As reported by Collider, he added, "With Kevin, it was different because it was Taylor Sheridan. I really like Taylor. I think he’s a fascinating, amazing screenwriter and storyteller. I sometimes find these people in my life who I’ll reach out to and say, 'Look, I’ll be an extra for you,' and Kevin is one of those people."

In the interview, when asked about returning to 'Yellowstone', Lucas eagerly expressed his desire to come back, saying he’d love the opportunity. He even hinted that there have been discussions about creating full flashback episodes, though he wasn’t sure when—or if—that would happen. 'Yellowstone' is one of the most visually spectacular projects that Lucas has ever worked on, and he also commended the show's stunning landscapes. Meanwhile, Hollywood has long practiced keeping performers apart on set. For instance, while filming 'Coming to America 2', Eddie Murphy and James Earl Jones never shared the same space.

Similarly, due to time constraints and scheduling difficulties, Arnold Schwarzenegger also never shared a room with his 'Batman & Robin' co-stars, as reported by Slash Film. However, not all actor separations are that simple; some are the result of more complex tensions on set. Luckily for Lucas and Costner in 'Yellowstone,' such was not the case. They were separated for artistic reasons. Lucas said in a different interview that their characters didn't have to be exact replicas of one another; they just had to capture the essence of one another. That dynamic may have been achieved without a face-to-face meeting.