Ethan Hawke Approves Of Fancasting For Netflix's New Western Series Based On 41-Year-Old Classic

Published Sep 26, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

Growing up around performers, storytelling was always central to Emma's life. Add in a nerdy older brother who introduced her to Marvel at far too young an age, and her love for entertainment led her to pursue a Journalism degree at Indiana University, where she discovered her passion for entertainment reporting. She spent nearly one year in Los Angeles covering industry stories and fully immersing herself in the world of entertainment media.

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Ethan Hawke is already throwing his hat in the ring for Netflix's upcoming Lonesome Dove adaptation.

Netflix recently announced a new Lonesome Dove adaptation, based on Larry McMurtry's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1985 novel. East of Eden's Zoe Kazan and Jeb Stuart are set to write, executive produce, and co-showrun the Western series, though no cast members have been announced yet.

During an interview with Bustle, Hawke revealed he already has his eye on one of its biggest roles. After Texas Monthly fan-cast him as Augustus "Gus" McCrae, Hawke said that seemingly everyone in his life sent him the suggestion. He joked about trying to remain cool before making it clear just how badly he wanted the part.

"Everybody in my life sent me that post. I gotta be so cool. I don't have any thoughts. I'll kill somebody if I'm not in there."

Hawke wasn't the only name included in Texas Monthly's dream cast. The publication also suggested Selena Gomez as Lorena Wood and Heated Rivalry star Connor Storrie as July Johnson.

Hawke's enthusiasm for playing Gus comes with an interesting connection to Lonesome Dove. He recently read McMurtry's novel after Tommy Lee Jones praised it while the two were working on The Lowdown season 2, and said the book ultimately "shook me to my core." Jones famously played Woodrow F. Call opposite Robert Duvall's Gus in the acclaimed 1989 miniseries. The original adaptation of Lonesome Dove was a major awards success, earning 18 Emmy nominations, while Duvall himself received a nomination for his performance as Gus. That gives Netflix some significant shoes to fill when it comes to casting the two characters at the center of its new series.

For now, Hawke's comments are just his way of expressing his excitement for the role. There is no indication that Netflix, Kazan, or Stuart has approached him about playing Gus, and the upcoming adaptation still has no announced cast.

Kazan and Stuart have already emphasized just how important Gus and Call will be to their adaptation. When Netflix announced the series, the co-showrunners said they were approaching McMurtry's novel with "love and respect" and "can't wait to hit the trail with Gus and Call and the rest of these beloved characters."

The new Lonesome Dove follows the retired Texas Rangers as they embark on one final cattle drive from the Rio Grande to Montana. Netflix is adapting McMurtry's original novel rather than just remaking the 1989 miniseries, giving Kazan and Stuart another major literary adaptation after East of Eden.

There are no further casting or production updates for Lonesome Dove.

Lonesome Dove