Why Kevin Costner’s Father Warned Him ‘Yellowstone’ Would Hurt His Career

Yellowstone has become the most successful cable drama on television over the course of four seasons on Paramount Network. But in a new interview, series star Kevin Costner reveals that his late father warned him about the role of John Dutton, telling him the show was "naughty" and would alienate his fans.

In a cast interview posted on Yellowstone's YouTube channel, Costner reveals that his father and mother both died in the last year, "within months of each other." His father "took a big interest in my career," he recalls, but one career prediction he offered his famous son turned out not to be right.

"He said, 'You're gonna lose your audience, fella,'" Costner recalls, slipping into an endearing imitation of his father's voice. "He said, 'That is a naughty show.' And he said, "They're gonna drift away, son ... you mark my words, that's naughty.'"

Costner's anecdote prompted his fellow Yellowstone castmates to burst out laughing, with Kelly Reilly — who plays Beth Dutton on the show — pointing out, "He was not wrong about that."

Once the show launched and became so successful, Costner's father made an about-face in his view of Yellowstone.

"Two years later, he's going, 'The nurses wanna know how it ends, and they just love [the show]," Costner recounts. "And he just forgot about that other prediction."

Season 5 of Yellowstone began shooting in Montana in mid-May, and it's set to premiere on Nov. 13.

The new season will consist of 14 episodes airing in two arcs of 7 episodes apiece. Seasons 1-4 of the hit Paramount Network show are currently available to stream via Peacock.

As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.