Yellowstone Who? This Show Proved Kevin Costner Was Born for Westerns Years Before

Summary:

• Yellowstone is a Paramount Plus neo-western television series created by Taylor Sheridan, starring Kevin Costner as John Dutton III.
• In May 2023, it was officially announced that Costner would be leaving the series.
• Although Josh Dutton was the actor's first regular TV role, he had previously starred in western miniseries Hatfields & McCoys in 2012.

Although Kevin Costner has been working on westerns for years as both an actor and producer, it was Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone that brought the actor and the genre back into the mainstream media. The Paramount Plus TV show has become a huge hit, and Costner's portrayal of the Dutton family patriarch was one of the main keys to its success.

Just as there is no real Western without horses and guns, there is no Yellowstone without Kevin Costner. Fortunately, there are a plethora of spin-offs that could continue the show's universe, but Costner as the lead will be forever missed by fans.

The good thing is that after so many years in the industry, the actor has gone on to many more appearances in similar roles. One of his projects that gets overlooked far too often for some reason is the History Channel miniseries Hatfields & McCoys. The three-part show is now as entertaining as it is educational.

Who Does Kevin Costner Play in Hatfields & McCoys?

In the 2012 series, Kevin Costner is paired with Bill Paxton to portray the real-life family feud between the titular families, with Costner starring as William Anderson Hatfield, also known as Devil Anse, while Paxton takes on the role of Randolph "Randall" McCoy.

The series is produced as a classic western, depicting the real-life historical events. In three two-hour episodes, the show explores the conflict between two American families in the West Virginia-Kentucky area.

Although the series has only a 71% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it proved to be a huge hit for the network.

Hatfields & McCoys received 16 nominations at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards, the most in the history of the History Channel. Both Paxton and Costner were nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, with Costner winning. He has also won SAG and Golden Globe awards in the same categories.

If you want to jump back in time to the late 1800s and enjoy Kevin Costner's performance in another critically acclaimed Western, be sure to watch the series on Apple TV or Amazon Video.