Of all the characters he has embodied to date, the one that fits Kevin Costner perfectly is none other than that of John Dutton in the Yellowstone lore. Besides immaculately performing as him for the screens, the actor also seems to share quite a few similar traits with the eldest Dutton. For instance, both he and John are two of the most incredibly picky eaters, in perhaps the whole wide world.
That said, this exact similar trait of the actor and his respective character even brought about a visceral reaction from him during one scene that absolutely disgusted him the exact same way that it struck his iconic onscreen fan-favorite character. And, for the record, this scene was the one where he was presented with a massive grilled octopus — something that obviously wasn’t his favorite.
Kevin Costner Had the Same Reaction as John Dutton in This One Scene
In Yellowstone, there is a scene where a “Mediterranean diet” food was prepared for the Dutton family, which included a giant octopus grilled up good enough to eat. And, yes, this food was for everyone, including the picky eater Kevin Costner‘s John Dutton as well.
Ironically enough, the reaction that the character had in this particular scene was the exact same that his portraying actor was seen sporting in real life. During an interview with Delish, the show’s chef Gabriel ‘Gator’ Guilbeau shared this very detail about the scene.
Initially explaining how this scene would unfold in front of the actor and his character, Gator said (via Delish/YouTube):
Kevin is a very picky eater, and in no way shape or form would he ever eat real octopus. I sat that down in front of Kevin; he had not seen the octopus at all. So I set this big sea spider down in front of poor Kevin Costner.
As expected, Costner’s reaction was as iconic in real life as his character’s was in the series. As Gator continued to share his reaction to the same:
He looked at me like he was a little kid and I just stepped on his cat or something or stole his lollipop, because he gave me this look and it was a genuine reaction that you see in the show of ‘Gator, what the hell is that?’
As hilarious as this reaction of John Dutton in the series was, it was also equally understandable because Costner was most definitely making the most realistic reaction that he himself would have when presented with a dish like that.
At the Same Time, Gator Also Justifies Kevin Costner’s Reaction
While this may offend all those seafood lovers out there who may not have found this reaction from Dutton relatable, there is a very good reason justifying the iconic reaction from Costner in this scene: He prefers to eat simple things with simple ingredients.
Continuing during the interview, Gator explained the same thing, saying:
Kevin Costner is a pretty difficult person to feed. Mostly just because he’s very simple. Simple ingredients and simple recipes like bread pudding are great.
Well, that being said, it becomes only understandable why Gator went on to say:
Considering this is a man that, before he met me, I think solely may have lived off of canned chili and hot dogs, it was a lot for me to put a ‘Mediterranean diet’ in front of him.
To put it in a nutshell, it is truly fascinating to see how closely Kevin Costner’s personal preferences — especially when it comes to food — align with those of his onscreen character, adding that extra layer of depth and authenticity to his portrayal of John Dutton in the fan-favorite saga.
You can stream Yellowstone on Peacock.
