Kevin Costner Willingly Gave Up Top Billing to Robert Duvall in This Forgotten Western Drama

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Kevin Costner on the red carpet with an image of a man behind him.

Published Feb 20, 2026, 7:48 AM EST

Michael John Petty is a Senior Author for Collider who spends his days writing, in fellowship with his local church, and enjoying each new day with his wife and daughters. At Collider, he writes features and reviews, and has interviewed the cast and crew of Dark Winds. In addition to writing about stories, Michael has told a few of his own. His first work of self-published fiction – The Beast of Bear-tooth Mountain – became a #1 Best Seller in "Religious Fiction Short Stories" on Amazon in 2023. His Western short story, The Devil's Left Hand, received the Spur Award for "Best Western Short Fiction" from the Western Writers of America in 2025. Michael currently resides in North Idaho with his growing family.

These days, Kevin Costner is known as the face of the modern West, a role he was still in its early stages of embracing back in the early 2000s. But long before Costner got into the saddle, the late Robert Duvall was earning his spurs and making a name for himself as one of the most impressive stars in Hollywood — whether he was starring in Westerns or anything else. So, when Costner cast Duvall for his 2003 Western feature, Open Range, he did something that, looking back on it now, was quite humble for a filmmaker who not only directed the film but also starred and produced: he gave Duvall top billing.

Kevin Costner Honored Robert Duvall By Giving Him Top Billing For 'Open Range'

Although not his most praised or ambitious Western drama, Kevin Costner really outdid himself with the too often ignored Open Range. Inspired by the Western romance novels of his youth, Costner crafted this two-person drama as a love letter to the American West that meditates on the necessity of violence by men who don’t actually seek it themselves. But despite his labor of love, Costner refused to take top billing for the post-Civil War epic, offering it instead to Robert Duvall, who arguably delivered his greatest Western performance sans Lonesome Dove as "Boss" Spearman. Although the film is undeniably Costner's, whose vision for the mythic West is seen in every frame (as well as in his performance as Charley Waite, a cowboy certainly worthy of his spurs), he clearly thinks highly of his elder. "I did that as a tribute to him," Costner once told the Daily News. "He's such a great actor, and he deserved that."

Costner’s decision to give Duvall top billing reportedly touched the actor deeply. The AMC Blog once noted that Duvall was already impressed with Costner as a filmmaker after Dances with Wolves, so his decision to give him top billing only moved him further. And no wonder, as these two clearly have an on-screen bond that we can only assume was true off-camera as well. Open Range is a tour de force of Western filmmaking that features not only one of the best shootouts in modern horse operas, but some of the most intimate character moments between the two aimless cowboys, who share a strong bond of loyalty that cannot be broken. Although Costner really is the star here, the film would not have worked without Duvall, who plays Spearman in direct contrast to his most famous Western role as Gus McCrae.

'Open Range' Is an Underrated Western Triumph Perfected by The Fabulous On-Screen Duo

Costner and Duvall simply kill it in Open Range. Their chemistry is some of the best in the genre, quite frankly, and the stark contrast between Spearman's present and Waite's potential future is a meditative touch that is sheer artistry at work. Costner's loyal and resolved Charley Waite stands by his "Boss" no matter what the orders are, and together they're willing to fight to the death if it means getting justice for their deceased hands. The way Duvall’s character pours into Costner's, urging him to have the life he didn't, feels quite relevant to the off-screen relationship between the Western stars. It's clear that Costner saw Duvall as almost a mentor of sorts, and it was that respect that led to his humble accreditation.

"Robert Duvall is a very specific actor, and a natural actor," Costner once told film critic Robert Ebert. "I wasn’t looking for someone who would play Boss as a character, but someone who would give me a hold-the-screen type Boss..." For Costner, casting Duvall was never about recreating the magic that was his performance in Lonesome Dove, but showcasing Duvall's impressive talents in a way that helps elevate his own performance as Charley Waite. "There's a key scene in the café which I think is an AFI moment for Bob. I stand behind him and don't say a word." Of all Costner's Western features, perhaps his most underrated is Open Range, a film that exceeds all expectations due to the performances of its leading men. Duvall may not have truly been the lead, but he more than earned that top billing credit here. With Duvall's passing, there's no better time to give this one a rewatch.

Open Range is available to stream on AMC in the U.S.