Cody Johnson Shares Why He Turned Down a Role on ‘Yellowstone’

Cody Johnson's music has been featured on Yellowstone, and he's got the real-life resume to make him a perfect match for a role on the runaway hit show. But in a new interview, the rodeo rider-turned-country singer reveals he actually declined an offer to appear on Yellowstone.

Johnson's song "Dear Rodeo" appeared in Yellowstone's Season 4, Episode 9, and Johnson undoubtedly possesses the real-life cowboy skills to make him a perfect choice for the show. In an interview with Audacy’s Rob + Holly on Friday Night Takeover, Johnson says he already knows Yellowstone co-creator and writer Taylor Sheridan — himself an avid horseman — personally, but he still had to pass when Sheridan offered him a role on the show.

"I know Taylor Sheridan and he asked me about being there, but I’ll just be honest, he gave me very little notice," the "'Til You Can't" singer relates. "Like a couple of months. I’m booked halfway through next year already. For what I would’ve had to cancel, I would’ve lost a pretty significant amount of money. So, I said, ‘Nah, I can’t do that.'"

That doesn't mean Johnson isn't interested in appearing on Yellowstone, however.

"We've talked about it," he shares. "I've got a new project that I'm working on, and after that comes out, I've got a cowboy project that I'm putting out, and Taylor was like, 'Man, I'd like to be involved. I want some of that music to use."

"I was just like, ‘Dude, if you just give me a year. Let me know a year ahead, and I could carve it out. I would love that,'" Johnson states.

He actually has more than just his cowboy skills to bring to the table.

"I won best actor in high school," Johnson reveals. "All the hot girls were in drama class, man...I would like to act. I really think that I could get into a role and really take it on, but I would want to do it right.”

While Johnson passed on Yellowstone for now, the upcoming Yellowstone Season 5 will feature Lainey Wilson as a musician named Abby.

Yellowstone's Season 5 began filming in Montana in mid-May of 2022, and it premieres on Nov. 13.

Season 5 of Yellowstone will consist of 14 episodes that will air in two arcs of 7 episodes apiece. Seasons 1-4 of the hit Paramount Network show are currently available to stream via Peacock. As part of Taste of Country's comprehensive coverage of all things Yellowstone, check out our Dutton Rules podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.