Taylor Sheridan Turned Josh Holloway Into The Ultimate New Western Heartthrob

Josh Holloway has been a TV great for decades. He starred in hit series like "Lost" and "Colony," and more recently, he became a cast member in "Yellowstone" during Season 3. While it shouldn't surprise fans of Holloway to see him try another Western role with the rise of "Yellowstone," "The Madison," and other shows produced by Taylor Sheridan, it's still a welcome sight to see the actor embracing the genre. Holloway's older roles include many complex antiheroes, which set the stage for him to play multi-layered cowboys on the big screen. Holloway certainly looks handsome and rugged enough for it.

One of Holloway's next big parts after joining the cast of "Yellowstone" was in a Western film, and the casting announcement had fans very excited. The movie, "Flint," is an adaptation of the beloved 1960 novel by Louis L'Amour. Holloway plays James Kettleman, who returns to the Western frontier from the East Coast and takes the name of the man who raised him, Flint. As you might expect, he finds himself in a bit of trouble with the locals, leading him on an unexpected and action-packed journey.

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The first look at the movie was released in August 2026, and many fans recognized Holloway from "Yellowstone." They seemed excited to see him take on such an iconic role. Comments on the teaser included, "Glad to see who is starring. Looks like a perfect movie for him," and "I can't wait to see this. Josh Holloway is such a talented and incredible actor." A thrilled fan said, "WOW AND I MEAN WOW." Clearly, there were plenty of people interested in seeing Holloway's next big step into Westerns. Who knows, this might start an era similar to Tom Selleck's Western career, which began in the '70s after booking a role in an adaptation of L'Amour's "The Sacketts." 

While there are many fans of Josh Holloway and Westerns who expressed excitement to see him in the adaptation of "Flint," there were also some skeptics. There were a few points of contention already in the trailer, with the first being where it takes place. In the original casting announcement, the plot was set in New Mexico, like in the book. But production took place in Montana, and it appears that after filming finished, the setting of the story was also changed to Montana, which is where "The Madison" and "Yellowstone" are set. Fans online weren't too happy about this, with one commenting, "Already disappointed. Wrong area, the area is definitely part of the story."

Another common thread in conversation between fans was their hope that the storyline would follow the book's plot. One loyal fan of the book wrote, "I've read this book over 20 times and watching this trailer is a humongous disappointment to the storyline of the book."

But Holloway is actually a longtime fan of the book himself. In August 2025, he told Cowboys & Indians that he saw "Flint" as a way to break into the Western genre, and he started trying to get the book adapted into a movie back when he was still shooting "Lost." He recalled, "I always said to my wife, 'I'm going to pick up where Clint [Eastwood] left off. I'm going to find that road.' And I think Louis L'Amour is the path to that." He even reached out to Louis' son, Beau L'Amour, who thought he didn't look old enough for the lead at the time. But Holloway never gave up on his dream, revealing that the popularity of "Yellowstone" finally helped get the movie greenlit.