A Hollywood Legend Once Trashed The Yellowstone Franchise (Despite Being In It)

"Yellowstone" is one of the biggest shows of the past decade. Though it started out relatively small on Paramount Network, it grew to become the biggest series on cable television. Taylor Sheridan's tale of the Dutton family led by Kevin Costner has truly gripped American audiences, so much so that it's now a full-blown franchise with several spin-offs – and more on the way. Despite being a part of that ever-expanding franchise, however, legendary actor Sam Elliott isn't exactly a fan of "Yellowstone," and he's not afraid to say so.

The actor, known for his roles in films such as "Road House" and "A Star is Born," starred as cowboy Shea Brennan in "1883," the spin-off that helped launch Paramount+. Elliott was quite happy with that show, which takes place decades before the events of the flagship series. In various interviews though, Elliott has made it crystal clear what he thinks of "Yellowstone." Speaking with Marc Maron on his "WTF" podcast in 2022, the actor had this to say about it:

"I'm not a 'Yellowstone' fan. I don't watch 'Yellowstone.' I love (Kevin) Costner. There's a lot of good people on the cast, a few of them I've worked with before. Nothing against any of them, but it's just too much like f***ing 'Dallas' or something, for me. [...] Too much of that for me."

While there is certainly an argument to be made that fans of "Yellowstone" would also enjoy "Dallas," Elliott seems to be suggesting that Sheridan's show is too derivative of the classic series for his tastes. Mainly, it's pretty impressive to hear an actor who is part of a franchise talk so openly about his distaste for a core part of that franchise.

"1883" focuses on early members of the Dutton family as they embark on a journey through the Great Plains, seeking a better future for themselves. Elliott called the prequel "a good one" in the interview, despite his clear distaste for Sheridan's five-season Western. For what it's worth, Elliott is known to speak his mind. The actor was also openly critical of the script for his classic film "Tombstone."

That "WTF" interview isn't the only time Elliott has expressed a distaste for "Yellowstone," either, nor was it some one-and-done that he walked back later. He also had some choice words about the show for Taste of Country in January 2022:

"'Yellowstone' is all over this. We're tainted by 'Yellowstone,' which, on some level, I can't stand. Because I think '1883' stands alone and will. Once it comes out, people are gonna say, 'Oh, yeah — the only connection there is that it got John Dutton to Montana.'"

It's unclear what Elliott thinks of the rest of this universe. "1883" was a single-season show, so his participation is over. There's also "1923," which will be returning for a second season, as well as the upcoming spin-off "The Madison," which is set to star Kurt Russell and Michelle Pfeiffer. Meanwhile, the possibility of "Yellowstone" season 6 remains up in the air a bit, given Costner's departure from the series — although it clearly wouldn't bother Elliott none too much if the show wrapped up its run a little early.

"1883" is streaming on Paramount+.