Yellowstone: Josh Lucas on the role of the younger John Dutton and the role he originally wanted

Josh Lucas was previously cast as a young John Dutton yellowstone even premiered on Paramount, but it would take five seasons for the character’s backstory to truly unfold. Here the actor is best known for A beautiful spirit and Sweet Home Alabama talk about the endless wait to hang out with everyone on the Montana ranch.

Reporter When were you first approached by Taylor Sheridan to play a younger John Dutton?

JOSH LUCAS I was attacked all the way back before they started shooting the pilot. Taylor and I talked at length about The Godfather and what Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro had done. These men don’t necessarily have to look the same. They must have the essence of each other. I wanted to be in the pilot. Actually, I didn’t tell people that, I really wanted to play Rip. But of course he wanted Cole Hauser and that was pretty cool for me because I’ve known Cole since we were 17, 18 years old. I think I got into episode three or episode four, I just forgot. Yellowstone wasn’t Yellowstone then. These people created something and put their heart and soul into it, but it still hasn’t worked.

Where did you meet Cole when you were 17?

Acting is actually a strange little world. I really wanted to be a part of the Dazed and Confused world with all these actors like McConaughey. I didn’t even audition for this film, but I knew about it. I was an actor from New York. It was Los Angeles. So when they came to New York, they hung out and visited me. Cole slept on my floor a few nights. The world of a young actor was a little different back then. It was a little wilder and freer and riskier and frankly dangerous and drunk. I always remember Cole being an outstanding force. It’s interesting now that he’s Rip because he carries the same power and energy and danger, but there’s also a sense of emotion. It’s cool to be with him on a horse in front of the farm now, more than 30 years later.

Reporter I can’t even remember your first scenes as John Dutton.

They were so small. Taylor told me before we started doing the first little tracks that it wouldn’t be much for me for the first few years. It will be in the fifth season. In the fifth season you come into play. I don’t know if we’re going to do a full Flashback season or full Flashback episodes, but I can tell you that. And I honestly remember thinking: This man is crazy. For example, I remember that moment when the idea of ​​a television show lasting more than a year or two was pretty unique or rare, let alone five seasons. It’s not normal. And the idea that he had all these seasons in his head? He said he didn’t know where he was going. All he knew was that the flashbacks would be quite extensive.

MEETING It’s pretty impressive that he knew you were going to be in Season 5 at the time.

I remember lying in my son’s bunk bed in the basement of our house in Harlem, New York City, like midnight, when I first spoke to Taylor Sheridan on the phone, and he told me that young John was in the fifth grade. Season will become prominent. And I remember thinking it was crazy. But I also recently talked to someone who told me when they got the location of the Dutton Ranch, Taylor was walking around pointing to certain places and saying, “This is going to happen here in season one” and “This is going to happen” here happens in season one”. ‘. two. And here goes the cemetery.’

Reporter When Yellowstone became a big hit, you called Taylor and said, do you need me? now?”

No, but I’ll tell you, I was sad that I wasn’t a bigger part of it – not about the success. It was more because I wanted to be a part of Yellowstone from the beginning. I think [the Sheridan-penned films] Wind River and Sicario and Hell of High Water were amazing. I thought Taylor did something remarkable from a writing perspective. I felt Taylor was a unique talent. He was an actor who left a TV show because he felt very strongly that his worth was greater than the way they valued him.

Reporter When you finally got the call, were you sent to cowboy camp?

I ride, but I don’t ride at an extreme level. I’ve been riding since I was young. I rode on a TV series when I was a teenager. I’ve always been involved with horses a lot, but the level of riding in Yellowstone is very different. I mean, most of the actors in this show are real cowboys or they became cowboys. Taylor is demanding and demands a level of authenticity that I find quite rare and extraordinary. Last weekend I did something incredible from a human experience when I became part of what is called the World Cutting Championship, where you basically take a horse and herd it against a herd and bring out a single cow. Cutting is something that really fascinates Taylor. The team around him, the wrestlers and various people involved in Yellowstone are really serious cowboys and farmers. And one of them called me to say, ‘Hey, do you want to enter this contest?’ You trained me for this.

Reporter Ho. How are you doing?

I got second place. I’m super proud of it. The reality is I see a movie like Dances With Wolves and what Kevin Costner did in that movie. You can’t fake it. I mean, sure – they have doubles, but he’s done a lot of things with these buffalo. This is an unusual level of horsemanship. So my responsibility to play the younger John Dutton is that I have to have that level of ability. You can’t completely fake it. Cole is an exceptional manager. Most actors can drive at insane levels now.

What did Taylor say about wanting you to portray a younger John Dutton?

I don’t think he has a lot of preconceived ideas about what you’re going to do. He has incredibly clear ideas about what the characters are. At the same time, I think he was pretty comfortable with the little pieces of fabric I made before we started. But at the same time, the conversations I had with him got much deeper, pretty quickly, that weren’t based on Taylor’s questions. They were based on mine. I wanted to understand was he darker? Was he angry? Who was he then? The death of his wife was a devastating element in the family which is so destructive to children. Beth becomes Beth in that one moment. I think all the different characters are kind of broken. And so I said is john lonely And Taylor kind of barked at me and said, “He’s too busy to be lonely.”

Reporter How often do we see you?

I don’t know how much more after episode eight. I hope much more. I love doing the show, but I don’t think anyone knows. I think it’s all in Taylor’s head. My understanding is that Taylor drives down the street, stops and just writes. I know what Taylor told me about filling in the blanks about who John Dutton is and why he does the things he does. I think it flows from him, but I also think it has been in him for a long time. I think this is a unique vision.

Reporter You have such an amazing, amazing piece of work, but dude, to so many people, you’re Home Depot. How has your life changed as a speaker?

Home Depot is the ultimate great job. We as actors have those rare moments when we get a good job. Job is work, you know what I mean? It makes money, doesn’t it? It’s not necessarily the most creative or the most interesting or whatever. At one point in my career I did the voice of Hugo Boss and what I would say was: ‘Hugo, yes, the world is getting smaller, you smell better.’ This is why I made $60,000 in one year. I didn’t make a dime as an actor except for that voice-over, and thanks to that voice-over I was able to train and act in small parts. Not only did Home Depot pay the bills, but it allowed me to be more creative and selective. And I have nothing but insane respect for this job, partly because I’ve also been a part of this company and seen it evolve and change over the years. They were very nice to me and they are very professional. I don’t want to connect the dots, but one of the things I really love and respect about Yellowstone is that you see the work that goes into it, these people who get up at 4 a.m. and do hard work. Oddly enough, the truth of this experience I went through with Home Depot. Such an interesting connection.