When a great actor like Dabney Coleman passes away, there is no shortage of platitudes that come from the acting community. There is a shorter list of people who repay their admiration or a good turn, when it really makes a difference. That’s when the actor is still alive. Quentin Tarantino has done it many times, resurrecting careers, and Yellowstone co-creator did it by casting Coleman in a flashback scene with Kevin Costner that is a most fitting epitaph for the actor. His touching turn as John Dutton Sr. was also a pivotal plot point, revealing a promise made by John Dutton (Kevin Costner) that explains why he would not sell off a single square foot of his sprawling Montana ranch. Why did Sheridan choose Coleman? It goes back to when Sheridan was trying to make it as an actor, long before he found his purpose as a prolific storyteller.
He explained it this way to Deadline: “I had the opportunity to work with Dabney in 2003, and learned priceless lessons in the power of simplicity as an artist, but more importantly I witnessed Dabney’s humility, grace, and patience (with my 10,000 questions).
“I never forgot those lessons, and was humbled myself when he agreed to appear on Yellowstone. His performance was yet another lesson in bravery and emotional honesty.
“Dabney Coleman is a treasure. He will be missed and admired, always.”
I couldn’t find the entire scene, but here is part of the touching father-son farewell moment many of us which we’d been able to have with our fathers: