The neo-Western drama Yellowstone is one of the most popular shows airing at the moment. The Kevin Costner starrer sees family drama and political clashes within the Dutton family who own the Yellowstone ranch. The Taylor Sheridan-created series has also been one of the most-watched series, and with its fifth season, it has been the most-watched TV show outside of football in America.
The cast boasts stars such as Kevin Costner, Danny Huston, and Luke Grimes. Actors such as Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren have appeared in the prequel series 1923. However, many actors have also refused the opportunity to star in the hit TV show. One of them is actor Sam Elliott.
There Are No Westerns Without Sam Elliott
With his broody and melancholic demeanor as well as his deep Southern voice, it is a wonder that Sam Elliott was not part of Yellowstone. The big-bad World seemed to be the perfect fit for the actor who is known for his appearances in classic Westerns.
Sam Elliott features in minor roles in classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and the Kirk Douglas starring Western, The Way West. He had his breakthrough with several made-for-television Western films such as The Quick and the Dead and Connagher. He headlined a bunch of adaptations of popular Western writer Louis L’Amour. Elliott also starred in the Western miniseries Buffalo Girls and in the film Tombstone.
The Western veteran then appeared in supporting roles in other genre films such as The Big Lebowski, Gettysburg, and We Were Soldiers. He also starred in two Marvel projects, the first being Ang Lee’s Hulk with Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, and the Nicholas Cage starrer Ghost Rider. Elliott made a comeback to the Western genre with the Netflix comedy The Ranch as well as the FX series Justified.
Why Did Sam Elliott Reject An Offer From Yellowstone?
While he had a resume tailor-made for an appearance on Yellowstone, Sam Elliott revealed that he actually refused to appear in the Kevin Costner starrer and that he was not a fan of the show. However, Elliott has starred in the miniseries 1883, which acts as a prequel to Yellowstone.
Talking about it in an episode of the WTF Podcast, Elliott said,
“I’m not a ‘Yellowstone’ fan…[It’s] too much like f*cking ‘Dallas’ or something for me.”
Elliott referred to the classic TV show of the 1980s Dallas, which followed a similar storyline of a family-based oil company on a ranch in Texas and the ensuing family drama and power politics.
After he appeared in the prequel series, Elliott revealed in The Yellowstone Podcast that he was offered a role in the main TV show, but had rejected it. He said,
“I passed on it, but during that time that he made that offer to me, we started talking…’Yellowstone’ is all over ‘1883’. We’re tainted by ‘Yellowstone,’ which on some level I can’t stand.”
However, the actor did shower praises on creator Taylor Sheridan as he was familiar with his work on the show Sons of Anarchy as well as Sicario.
Source: WTF Podcast
