Josh Lucas is opening up about his journey as a young John Dutton on Paramount’s number one series, Yellowstone. Lucas breathes life into the man John was before some of the deepest heartaches altered him, and before life had time to take too much of a toll on his heart and mind.
Both Lucas and Kevin Costner bring an incredibly gritty and intense persona to the character of John Dutton, and it’s because of their dedication to the series that he’s such a success.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Lucas said that when he first got started in Yellowstone, it was much different than it is today. It had yet to become a cultural phenomenon, and he was diving into uncharted territory, so to speak.
“When I first started, I hadn’t seen it. Nobody had seen it. And then I didn’t go back to watching it until creator Taylor Sheridan called me and said, ‘You’re coming back for the fifth season.’ I watched all 40 episodes in a matter of about, honestly, a week. I would fight with myself. I’d be like, ‘Josh, are you doing research or are you just binge watching television?’ But I definitely got obsessed by it. It’s one of the best jobs ever. Being out there in Montana, having this extraordinary dialogue, and with these horses, it is an absolute dream.”
A dream is a perfect way to describe what it must be like to work on a series as complex and beautiful as Yellowstone. Lucas also notes that, in addition to their dedication to the series, the togetherness makes the experience special.
“What I am struck by more than anything is the level of passion and the family-like atmosphere that this crew and cast has together. They work out in the middle of nowhere Montana, they’re very isolated and they work incredibly hard. Everyone involved in the show is attempting to do something special and they’re pouring their souls and hearts into it. I’ve never met a crew that’s so loyal the exact same people that were there in the beginning.”
Lucas also shared a tidbit of his conversation with Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce Dutton in the series. Their chat echoes a sentiment that Grimes himself shared a couple of months ago when talking about Yellowstone and his upcoming music career; there’s something about the ranch that makes him want to be part of it forever.
“I was sitting outside one night and Grimes said, ‘You know, I’m never gonna act again ’cause I only want to play Kayce.’ I was like, ‘Oh, come on. Luke, you’re a great actor.’ I said, ‘I bet you right now that you act again.’ He was like, ‘I will bet you’… He said his passion for playing the character is so strong that he never wants to do anything else.”
Fans of Yellowstone are absolutely game for watching the series for years to come, so if Grimes is willing to keep playing our beloved (and totally dreamy) cowboy for all time, we’ll keep watching.
You can see Lucas as a young John Dutton in new episodes of Yellowstone airing Sunday evenings on Paramount.
