Yellowstone: The Real Reason Kevin Costner Changed His Voice For John Dutton
As the wait for Season 5, Part 2 of “Yellowstone” continues to intensify, fans of Taylor Sheridan’s neo-Western are saddling up to see how the show’s patriarch, John Dutton (Kevin Costner), finally bites the dust. This is because not only is the upcoming batch of episodes meant to be the last ride for the popular series but also because of behind-the-scenes drama between Costner and Paramount.
While we can’t tell you precisely when or how the central character of “Yellowstone” will be killed off, we can offer a bit of insight into how Costner’s characterization of John came to be. The actor spoke about the gruff voice he uses for John in an interview with “Good Morning America,” except he was actually talking about voicing … a dog.
That’s right, John Dutton shares a voice with the dog Enzo, who narrates the 2019 film, “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” It can be heard in the clip and is indistinguishable from the senior Dutton’s cadence. Of the voice and how it came to be, however, Costner simply explained that he doesn’t really like his own voice. “That’s why you’re trying to invent voices all t he time because you don’t like your own,” he admitted.
Even an actor as iconic as Costner wishes he could change his voice
Though this sounds like the kind of thing that many actors might say, it’s especially surprising coming from a performer as iconic as Kevin Costner. After all, this is the man who starred in legendary films like “Field of Dreams,” “The Untouchables,” “JFK,” and “Dances with Wolves,” just to name a few.
Still, these comments do offer a bit of further insight into how Costner approaches his characters and is especially interesting for the intriguing crossover that it makes between two unlikely projects like “Yellowstone” and “The Art of Racing in the Rain.” Furthermore, considering the fact that the two projects are only a little over a year apart, they may have even been developed during the same time period.
While this might help to explain how John ended up sounding like Enzo the dog (or vice versa), it also adds layers to the work that Costner put into both projects. Meanwhile, fans who are waiting to see what John Dutton’s final words are will have to wait until late 2024 when “Yellowstone” finally returns from its extended hiatus.
