Why is Kevin Costner’s Voice So Raspy in Yellowstone?

One of the most recognizable aspects of Kevin Costner as John Dutton is his raspy voice, which adds to his gritty cowboy character.

However, in real life, Costner’s voice is quite different from his cowboy counterpart.

So why is Kevin Costner’s voice so raspy in Yellowstone?

Kevin Costner changed his voice on Yellowstone so he sounded more like the iconic western characters of old. He felt the raspy voice more suited the gritty personality of his character John Dutton.

The inspiration behind it just may come from some of the Western genre’s most iconic actors.

As many Redditors agree, Costner appears to get inspiration for John’s voice from Clint Eastwood. As Eastwood is one of the most iconic Western actors of all time, it makes sense that Costner would draw inspiration from him.

Costner even revealed to Hollywood.com that he is not a fan of his own voice and thought it didn’t match his character.

“That’s why (as an actor) you’re trying to invent voices all the time – because you don’t like your own,” said Costner.

Kevin Costner’s Inspiration From How the West Was Won

While Kevin Costner’s voice gives off Clint Eastwood vibes in Yellowstone, he has a particular Western actor that is one of his favorites from his childhood.

Growing up, Costner was a big fan of Spencer Tracy from How the West Was Won (1962).

Costner said in an interview with Outsider, “well, I could tell you the first time I ever heard narration in my life. It was probably 1962, I was seven-year-old, and I went to see the movie ‘How the West Was Won’ and it was a four-hour long movie. I didn’t move, I was thrilled by the whole story, and the first voice I heard come up was Spencer Tracy, and he was talking about the map of America, and he said, ‘long before there were roads, before there were all these markers that designated states, it was just rivers. It was just mountains.’”

Costner even went as far as to say that if he would choose someone to narrate his life it would be Tracy. The idea is especially appealing to him now with his role in Yellowstone.

“As a seven-year-old, the idea of that, yeah, before all these cities, these were places untouched. It was like the Garden of Eden, if you will, and that voice was Spencer Tracy, so I guess– he was a legendary actor. A voice all his own, so I guess if there was going to be a voice, it would be Spencer.”

Also, read our guide Kevin Costner.

How Kevin Costner Got the Role of John Dutton

There is no doubt that Kevin Costner has done a great job playing at playing John Dutton on Yellowstone.

Costner was not only drawn in by the dialogue, but also by the fact that the show is filmed in Montana.

“I saw that the dialogue had a fun, realistic approach to it. It was raw. It was dysfunctional. And it was set against the backdrop of mountains and rivers and valleys and people on horseback, which is very appealing,” said Costner.

Show creator Taylor Sheridan actually met Costner before writing Yellowstone, when the show was just an idea. Then after writing the pilot episode, Sheridan immediately sent it to Costner as he is a big fan of his work.

After receiving the script, Costner was in, seeing the greatness the show had to offer.

While originally the show was supposed to be just a 10-episode series, it has blossomed into several seasons thanks to its vast popularity.

Also read: Who the Yellowstone Cast Are Dating or Married to in Real-Life

How Much Money Does Kevin Costner Make on Yellowstone?

Kevin Costner is being paid $1.3 million per episode of Yellowstone season 5. With 14 episodes in season 5, Costner will be making an incredible $18.2 million in just this season alone if he appears in every episode, which is likely.

When Costner first accepted the role of John Dutton on Yellowstone, he was making $500,000 per episode. However, thanks to the large success of the show, his salary has taken a huge jump upwards.

Also, see how much the other Yellowstone cast members are paid.