Josh Holloway
Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Josh Holloway Wanted To Play A Cowboy on 'Yellowstone'

For actor Josh Holloway, it was a dream come true signing on to play Roarke Carter in season 3 of the Paramount Network's TV show Yellowstone. Holloway is already a familiar face, previously starring as James "Sawyer" Ford on Lost and Will Bowman on the sci-fi series Colony. But it was an interesting twist watching him play the antagonist. 

Though he was born in San Jose, California, Holloway's family moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia when he was a toddler. He grew up with a love of the outdoors and riding horses but also an interest in acting. After spending one semester at the University of Georgia, he packed his bags for Los Angeles to see what he could do in Hollywood. Holloway first started making a name for himself as a model, appearing in ads for major brands before he landed a gig in an Aerosmith music video opposite Alicia Silverstone for "Cryin'." TV and film roles followed on The Lyon's Den, Walker, Texas Ranger, NCIS, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Mi Amigo, Stay Cool, Cold Heart, and more. 

But landing the role of Sawyer on Lost was definitely the actor's big break and for six seasons he was able to film the popular ABC TV series in Oahu, Hawaii. He definitely has to have some amazing stories from his time filming and was even named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People Magazine. But Holloway was incredibly excited to be cast on Yellowstone for multiple reasons. He had been longtime friends with creator Taylor Sheridan before Sheridan had made the shift from actor to writer/director. The two had ridden horses together, one of Holloway's favorite pastimes at his cabin in Wyoming. 

"I would sit down and watch 'Yellowstone' with my wife and I'd be like, 'One day, I'll get a show like this, Babe,'" he told USA Today. "And I still can't believe I'm on the show."   

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Being such a fan of horses and the outdoors, you'd assume that his old friend Taylor would cast him as a cowboy on his series. But he surprised everyone by making him a new nemesis for John Dutton who is definitely a businessman. But Sheridan did specifically write things in for the character inspired by Holloway, like his love of fly fishing.

"When I got the call, I was so excited that I was finally going to get to be a cowboy, because in 18 years of acting, no one has cast me as the cowboy, for God's sake," the actor told USA Today. "I was like, finally. Thank you, Taylor. And nope. He cast me as a Wall Street guy. I was like, 'Taylor? Really?' He thought that was the funniest thing."

Holloway has been a longtime fan of Kevin Costner's, so it was really fun for him to play opposite him on Yellowstone. He told the NY Post that he was not let down at all meeting his idol, the winner of countless award nominations throughout his legendary career. 

"When you get to meet your heroes, you hope it's going to go well and they won't blow you off and tell you to get lost. He was super nice and present and humble and really about the work. It inspires you. I really enjoyed meeting and working with Kevin. You might expect him to be somewhat distant, but he was not and I loved that. So we had a good time together."

Outside of his acting career, Holloway has been married to Yessica Kumala since 2004 and they have two children together — Hunter and Java. The actor told People that in their free time they love spending time at their home in Jackson Hole.

"We snowboard in the winter, and in the summer we ATV and hike and look at all the wildlife - it's amazing. To me, it's the jewel of the world."

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