Kevin Costner Gave Robert Duvall Top Billing for Open Range

In 2003 Kevin Costner directed, produced and starred in the Western Open Range, and he chose to give top billing to Robert Duvall. At a time when Costner was still shaping his image as the face of the modern West, Duvall had long earned his spurs as one of the genre’s most impressive actors.

Costner called the decision "a tribute to him," and fashioned the film as a two-person drama and a love letter to the American West that meditates on violence carried out by men who do not seek it. Duvall’s turn as "Boss" Spearman is often singled out as one of his greatest Western performances apart from Lonesome Dove.

Viewers and critics have praised the chemistry between the two leads, and the film is noted for both intimate character moments and one of the best shootouts in modern horse operas.

kevin costner, robert duvall, open range, boss spearman, western film, lonesome dove, top billing, shootout, american west, lead chemistry