Kevin Costner: ‘You end up at a gun fight’ on His Perfect Western Criteria That Made Him Sign Yellowstone Before Ugly Exit

Of all the globally acclaimed masterpieces he has starred in to date, perhaps very few have garnered Kevin Costner as much attention as Yellowstone. Not only did the series launch him as the iconic head of the Dutton family, John Dutton, but the masterpiece helmed by Taylor Sheridan also cemented and elevated his position and status in the Western genre.

Of course, that was all in the past, for Costner seems to have moved past the ranch-y saga following his exit after season 5A. But when it goes back to the beginning, the actor had an incredibly good reason for hopping on board this spectacular series. If anything, his Western criteria seem to be just what helped him land and make such an amazing saga alongside Sheridan in the first place.

While Yellowstone is one, it isn’t the only good Western project that Kevin Costner has been a part of. His 1990 Western adventure Dances with Wolves, for one, is not only one of his best pieces to date but also earned him two of the only Oscars of his entire career. That said, it might as well be admitted that the actor knows a good ranch-y project when he sees one.

This is a fact he has made evident through his statements where he shared his perspective on what he thinks makes a Western project succeed or fail. Talking to People, he said, “I’ve always believed a good Western isn’t always just rushing towards its gunfight. If you can create language and situations, and then you end up at a gunfight, I think it can be an amazing movie or TV show.”

To put it simply, the 69-year-old actor feels actual acting alongside action serves as the perfect way to flesh out Westerns.