Yellowstone and its cast have been marred with rumors of a shake-up on set since fans started speculating that Kevin Costner, who plays lead character John Dutton, is leaving the show after five seasons.
While no definite answer has been provided by the creators on the actor's future on the show, his co-star Josh Lucas, who plays the younger version of John, gave insight into the often tense dynamic of their set.
Speaking at PaleyFest LA – which sparked another round of rumors about the cast when creator Taylor Sheridan and much of the cast dropped out of their appearance at the last minute – the 51-year-old opened up about what it's really like working with Kevin and Taylor.
Speaking with Us Weekly on the red carpet, Josh explained just how interwoven the creators and actors are with the characters, and the responsibility and pressure that that brings.
"Taylor has become and Kevin has become John Dutton and John Dutton is as filled with Taylor Sheridan as it is with Kevin Costner," he explained, adding: "So for me it's finding those connective tissues."
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He further said: "[There's] the responsibility of a huge movie star and a brilliant writer who are putting a lot of crazy love and pressure on each other and the show to make something that people love. There's a reason why people love it."
© GettyHis appearance at PaleyFest came not only amid rumors of Kevin's departure and the rest of the cast dropping out – press was only informed of their absence less than an hour before the red carpet – but as it is revealed that the second part of season two isn't in the works yet (even though it is slated for a summer release), but a spin-off with none other than Matthew McConaughey is.
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"We haven’t started, no. We know he is writing and we're looking forward to getting back," said actress Wendy Moniz when she stepped in to replace her absent castmates at PaleyFest.
© GettyOf Kevin's current or future involvement in the show, a spokesperson for the franchise – other Yellowstone spin-offs are 1883, 1923 and 6666 – previously said: "We have no news to report. Kevin Costner is a big part of Yellowstone and we hope that’s the case for a long time to come."
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