In a candid conversation with Vulture, Lily Gladstone voices her criticism of Hollywood's romanticized portrayal of the American West in movies and TV, singling out the Kevin Costner-led series Yellowstone.
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Gladstone doesn't mince words, calling it "Delusional! Deplorable!" when discussing Taylor Sheridan's popular Western drama.
Yellowstone, along with its spinoff shows 1883 and 1923, traces the story of the Dutton family and their Montana cattle ranch across generations. Creator Taylor Sheridan has previously defended Yellowstone against claims that it's "anti-woke" or a "red-state show."
While Gladstone disapproves of the idealized depiction of the West in Yellowstone, she doesn't blame the Native American actors who appear in the show. She even mentions, "No offense to the Native talent in that. I auditioned several times. That's what we had."
Gladstone takes the spotlight alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon. Set in the 1920s, this epic crime drama revolves around the Osage Nation of Oklahoma, who own valuable oil fields.
Earlier this year, Gladstone shared with Variety how Scorsese collaborated closely with the real-life Osage Nation to ensure accurate representation in the film.
"The work is better when you let the world inform the work," Gladstone asserts. "That was very refreshing how involved the production got with the [Osage Nation] community. As the community warmed up to our presence, the more the community got involved with the film. It's a different movie than the one [Scorsese] walked in to make almost entirely because of what the community had to say about how it was being made and what was being portrayed."
Gladstone emphasizes that Killers of the Flower Moon is not a "white savior story." Instead, she describes it as the Osage Nation's call for help, saying, "It's the Osage saying, 'Do something. Here's money. Come help us.'"
