Kevin Costner has been in the acting game for over 40 years. With blockbuster hits like Field of Dreams, Hidden Figures, and Molly’s Game under his belt, it comes as no surprise that the Yellowstone actor makes a pretty good wage.
Even knowing all this, we were shocked to find out just how must Costner makes per episode for playing John Dutton on the Western drama. Costner played his cards right for his television debut, only signing a contract agreeing to film one season of Yellowstone. Obviously, the show exploded in popularity, quickly becoming the most-watched show on cable, with the season four finale bringing in a whopping 9.3 million viewers. As Costner has been a key part of the show’s success, Taylor Sheridan had to keep him around, whatever the cost.
How much does Kevin Costner make on Yellowstone?
For season one, Costner took home a sizable $500,000 per episode. However, after renegotiating his contract, he now makes a staggering $1.3 million per episode, according to Variety! You read that right, per episode, $1.3 million, meaning if Costner finishes out filming for all 14 episodes of season five, he will bring home $18.2 million for this season alone (not including bonuses and production fees).
It is rumored that part of the strife between Costner and the show’s created Taylor Sheridan, stems from Costner’s request to raise his salary even more to $1.5 million per episode. Instead, Yellowstone will be ending after season five, though there are other factors that led to this decision (Coster also wanted to devote more of his time to his passion project, Horizon).
Per legal documents from Costner’s recent divorce from Christine Baumgartner, his total net worth is close to $400 million including $100 million worth of real estate. As for the rest of the Yellowstone cast, including big names like Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, and Kelly Reilly, it is rumored though not confirmed that they make $200,000 per episode or less. Costner’s insane salary is almost unheard of in the world of TV (especially for a show with so few seasons), though it seems to have paid off for the Yellowstone franchise.
