The newer story is echoed by an Express interview in which Cole Hauser told the story previously. "[Yellowstone co-creator John Linson] came to me and said, 'There's this show; we've just got Kevin Costner," the actor recalled. "'Take a look at it and see what you think. I think you'd be great in this.'"

Naturally, after five seasons as the gruff muscle behind John Dutton, it's a bit tough to imagine Hauser in a different role. Still, it is possible to see him as either Kayce (Luke Grimes) or Lee (Dave Annable). What's a lot more of a reach, though, is to picture the actor as the more prim and proper Jamie (Wes Bentley).

Of the three, Hauser is likely happiest that he didn't land on Lee Dutton, as the character dies in the first episode of "Yellowstone" and only appears in a few flashbacks after that. "He didn't say any role or anything. I looked at the script, and initially, my team wanted me to position myself to play one of his sons," Hauser went on.

"And I just didn't see it. I didn't think that there was a role that was right for me when it came to Jamie, or Lee, or Kayce," the actor concluded. Considering how popular Rip Wheeler has become over the years, surely "Yellowstone" fans wouldn't have it any other way.