'Yellowstone' star Gil Birmingham on working with Kevin Costner: 'Deep respect and appreciation for him'

"Yellowstone" actor Gil Birmingham spoke at the Critics Choice Awards on Sunday about his experience working on the show with co-star Kevin Costner.

Birmingham, who plays Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater on the show, told reporters that Costner is "a major leader" when asked how it was working with the star actor.

"Kevin is [an] extraordinary talent, he has been for his whole career and it's not any different on our show," Birmingham said. "He's a major leader, and we have such deep respect and appreciation for him."

Birmingham further praised Costner as a mentor to the "Yellowstone" actors and staff. He also complimented Costner's acting abilities for his portrayal of John Dutton.

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS HOST CHELSEA HANDLER TAKES JABS AT JAMES CORDEN, ELLEN DEGENERES IN MONOLOGUE

"I think he's a mentor to everyone on our set. His vast experience and just his amazing presence, how he portrays John Dutton. We all learn something every day with him," he said.

CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS FASHION: KATE HUDSON, JULIA ROBERTS AND MORE GO SHEER AND SPARKLE ON RED CARPET

Speaking about the success of "Yellowstone," Birmingham expressed appreciation for fans of the show.

"We've just been watching it gather a fanbase exponentially season after season until we become the number one show on cable television," Birmingham said. "And we couldn't be more excited to have fans really connect to it and by word of mouth passed it on to so many of our loyal fans."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

"Yellowstone" is an American neo-Western drama that premiered in 2018 on Paramount Network. There have been five seasons of the show to date.