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.
