Killers of the Flower Moon star Lily Gladstone has heavily criticised hit US show Yellowstone, branding it “deplorable”.
The Native American actor, whose previous credits include Kelly Reichardt’s films Certain Women and First Cow, will next star in Martin Scorsese’s drama alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.
Before her big break, however, Gladstone “auditioned several times” for neo-Western drama Yellowstone. Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, the show follows ranch owners and land developers in the Native American reservation of Yellowstone National Park.
Referencing the small number of Indigenous stories told on screen in Hollywood, Gladstone told Vulture she had to audition for Yellowstone as “that’s what we had”. However, she called the series “delusional” and “deplorable”.
Gladstone, 37, did not elaborate on her views, and said she meant “no offence to the Native talent in” the show.
Since its premiere in 2018, Yellowstone – which centres on a wealthy ranch owner named John Dutton (Kevin Costner) – has become one of the most-watched shows in the US. Recently, however, the show has found itself in the spotlight after tension behind the scenes involving Costner.
Costner quit the show, leading the creative team to bring the entire series to an end years before they originally planned. The 68-year-old actor recently shed light on the reasoning behind his decision to leave.
Gladstone can be seen next as Mollie Burkhart in Scorsese’s adaptation of David Grann’s non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon, which is due for release in October.
The book and film document the string of murders that plagued the Osage tribe in Oklahoma during the 1920s after oil was found on their land. The case was deemed the FBI’s first homicide investigation.
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Lily Gladstone in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon'— (Apple TV+)
Speaking about her role in the film, Gladstone said she felt more comfortable after realising Scorses’s project was “not a white saviour story”.
“It’s the Osage saying, ‘Do something. Here’s money. Come help us,’” she said, adding: “It was clear that I wasn’t just going to be given space to collaborate. I was expected to bring a lot to the table.”
According to Grann, Scorsese has already set his next film post-Killers of the Flower Moon.
Find a timeline of the Yellowstone controversy with Costner here.
