Kurt Russell Isn't The Biggest Fan Of His Iconic Western Film Tombstone: 'Could Have Been Way Better'

With a career spanning more than six decades, it isn't surprising that Kurt Russell has more than a few iconic movies under his belt. Russell started off as a child actor and became famous for his run of live-action Disney movies throughout the 1960s and '70s. In the '80s, the actor recreated his public image, becoming an action hero and making movies with the love of his life, Goldie Hawn. Then, in the 2000s, the star took on a new persona as an elder statesman, mixing up his action movie roles with playing a dad and even putting his own twist on Santa Claus. And while there can be a debate about which Russell movie is the best, one that is sure to be on most lists is "Tombstone," which makes it all the more surprising that Russell feels it doesn't live up to his expectations. He told The Hollywood Reporter (THR) in March 2026 how, "It could have been way better." 

Russell took on the role of Wyatt Earp in the epic retelling of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, turning in one of his most iconic performances. But the star said, in his opinion, "The movie is not as good as the screenplay." Russell went on to explain his issues with the classic Western: " ... for a lot of different reasons, the money got burned through, and the director thing didn't work out. So we had to go about it differently, and we got what we made." While "Tombstone" has become a beloved movie, often being considered one of the greats in its genre, Russell believes it could have been so much more, telling the outlet, "It's considered one of the great Westerns, right? It could have been considered one of the great movies."

Screenwriter Kevin Jarre was originally set to direct "Tombstone," which he had written. Initially, Kurt Russell was excited to work with Jarre, telling True West in 2006, "Kevin was such a good writer, it was such a good script, there was no reason not to back it." But early into shooting, the movie got away from Jarre, and Russell tried to warn him: "I was very disappointed with Kevin. I told Kevin he was going to get fired." Russell was right, and a month into filming, Jarre was replaced with George P. Cosmatos, best known for directing "Rambo: First Blood Part II." 

But just how much Cosmatos was actually responsible for the movie has been debated. Russell claimed to True West that he essentially directed the picture, revealing, "I said to George [Cosmatos], 'I'm going to give you a shot list every night, and that's what's going to be. ... I don't want any arguments. ... This is what the job is.'" Co-star Val Kilmer, who turned in a legendary performance as Doc Holliday, seemingly backed Russell's claims up, writing in a now-deleted blog (via THR), "Kurt is solely responsible for 'Tombstone's' success, no question."

Thankfully, Russell's disappointment with "Tombstone" didn't stop him from making more Westerns. The actor returned to the genre in 2015, appearing in S. Craig Zahler's "Bone Tomahawk" and Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight." He also stars on the modern Western TV series "The Madison," created by Taylor Sheridan. And, proving that he is more than just an on-camera cowboy, Russell and his longtime partner, Goldie Hawn, live in a rather lavish log cabin sitting on 70 acres of Colorado land.