Yellowstone is one of the biggest shows in the history of television. Created by Taylor Sheridan, the show has brought fame, acclaim, and recognition to a lot of underrated actors, who otherwise would have been on a very different career track. One of these many actors is Luke Grimes, who stars as Kayce Dutton, son of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton.
Starring as an ex-Navy SEAL, Grimes once revealed how he said yes to working with Sheridan before even looking at the script and that it was his role in one controversial Clint Eastwood movie that helped him bag a role on the show.
Luke Grimes Said Yes to Working in Yellowstone Without Reading the Script
Taylor Sheridan had a humble start in his career in Hollywood, but once the actor turned to writing, Sheridan keeps on shocking the world. And the biggest win of his career so far seems to be Yellowstone, the Western drama that is now widely hailed as one of the best television shows of all time.
Given Sheridan’s career trajectory and the acclaim he received after writing movies like Sicario and Hell or High Water, Luke Grimes was all ready to work with the auteur the moment he received the call. In an old interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Grimes revealed,
Man, it was probably 2017. I was doing a film outside L.A., in the Acton area, so I was driving back and forth every day. And then I got a call on one of my drives from John Linson, who is one of the [Yellowstone] creators. And he just said, ‘Got this Taylor Sheridan script.’ And I was like, ‘Well, you have me right there. Whatever it is, I want to be in it.’
Already a fan of his work, Grimes got to work with the moment he had read the script. Having sent a self-tape, the actor revealed how he spent his days praying and hoping he would get to play Kayce Dutton. Fortunately for him, his role in one of Clint Eastwood’s most controversial movies helped him bag the role.
Luke Grimes Got a Role in Yellowstone Due to Clint Eastwood!
Clint Eastwood has made several brilliant movies throughout his career, but his 2014 biographical drama film, American Sniper occupies a separate place, for it is also one of his best as well as most controversial films of all time. However, if hadn’t been for the film, Luke Grimes would have not been Kayce Dutton in Yellowstone.
According to Grimes, the actor’s portrayal of a real-life Navy SEAL, Marc Alan Lee, played an integral part in him getting the job offer. While talking to THR, the actor remarked Sheridan had seen the film while he was working on Yellowstone, and watching him play a Navy SEAL convinced Sheridan to cast Grimes as Kayce, who is an ex-Navy SEAL in the show.
So just the correlation between Kayce being a Navy SEAL and then seeing me do that on American Sniper, I think, clued him in that maybe I could play a role like that. And thank God. I don’t know if that helped my chances or got me to the top of the list or what, but I do know that he saw that movie and that he’s a big fan of Clint Eastwood, as am I.
Now extremely grateful for the opportunity, the actor was perfect as Kayce Dutton. As he is now set to star in the final episodes of the show’s last season, it is hard to imagine somebody else portraying Kayce Dutton.
Yellowstone can be streamed on Peacock.
