One of the main actors of “Yellowstone” landed his role in the series thanks to his performance in a film directed by Clint Eastwood.
It’s impossible not to think of Clint Eastwood when we talk about westerns. Both as an actor but also as a director, the latter left his mark on this quintessential Hollywood genre, and enjoyed international success thanks in particular to Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy.
There is no doubt that Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone, would have dreamed of seeing the great Clint appear in one of his series. But unfortunately for him, the 93-year-old legend is devoting himself to his own career as a filmmaker, and has just finished filming his new feature film, Juror #2.
Clint Eastwood inspired the cast of Yellowstone
But despite everything, Clint Eastwood indirectly influenced the casting of Yellowstone. Thus, Luke Grimes who lends his features to Kayce Dutton, the youngest son of John Dutton, was chosen by the creators of the program thanks to his performance in the film American Sniper, directed by Clint Eastwood.
In this war film directed by Bradley Cooper, Luke Grimes plays Marc Lee. This doubting soldier was the first NAVY SEAL killed during the Second Iraq War. His performance, which represents all the moral complexity of American soldiers, earned him criticism from Marc Lee’s widow, but also praise from critics.
Everyone loves Clint Eastwood
In an interview given to Hollywood Reporter, Luke Grimes revealed that his performance in American Sniper had something to do with the role he landed in Yellowstone. The similarities between the characters of Marc Lee and Kayce Dutton jumped out at co-creators Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, and established in their minds Luke Grimes as the ideal actor to play the ex-NAVY SEAL in the western series.
“I heard that they saw the film while they were writing the series (…)” he said in this interview. “And thank goodness, I don’t know if that increased my chances or if it put me at the top of the list of actors being considered, but I know that they saw the film and they are like me Huge Clint Eastwood fans.”
The series from the Yellowstone universe can now be found exclusively on Paramount+.
Discover the list of series currently available on the platform.