Josh Lucas wanted to play Rip on Yellowstone

Josh Lucas may play Young John Dutton on Yellowstone, but that wasn’t his first choice. In fact, he wanted to play the ranchman in black, Rip Wheeler.

“I’ve not said this to people, I really wanted to play Rip. But he clearly wanted Cole Hauser and it was kinda cool for me because I’ve known Cole since we were like 17, 18 years old.” Hauser may have lassoed the crucial role of Rip, but Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan knew exactly what he wanted from Josh Lucas.

“I was approached all the way back before they started shooting the pilot. Taylor and I discussed it at length, you know, The Godfather and what Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro did. These men don’t necessarily need to look alike. They need to have the essence of each other.” The essence is absolutely there, as Josh Lucas is excelling at playing the role, making it his own while still adhering to the expectations set forth by Kevin Costner.

Lucas first appeared as Dutton in season one, episode three. Despite only a few short scenes early on, Josh Lucas recalls Sheridan telling him the grand plan for Young John Dutton: “‘It’s going to be in the fifth season. The fifth season is where you’re gonna come in. I don’t know if we’re gonna do full flashback season or full flashback episodes, but that’s what I can tell you.’ And I remember genuinely thinking, this guy’s crazy.”

Crazy or not, Taylor Sheridan has molded Yellowstone into a bonafide hit. The fifth season debut, which premiered in November, saw 10.3 million viewers (12.1 including its encores), a significant increase over the season four premiere.

The first part of season five of Yellowstone concluded on December 18th, with the second part set to premiere on January 8th.

Season five has been well received. Our own Alex Maidy gave the premiere an 8/10.

What do you think of season five so far? How do you think Josh Lucas would have done as Rip on Yellowstone? Let us know your thoughts below!