New JFK Thriller Casts Yellowstone Actor as Lee Harvey Oswald

Yellowstone actor Jefferson White has officially joined the cast of the JFK thriller November 1963. White will portray Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald.

Deadline broke the news of White’s casting, with Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting) also announced to be playing Jack Ruby in the film. Set to begin shooting this spring in Canada, November 1963 explores the “true version” of the events surrounding President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Oscar-nominated filmmaker Roland Joffé (The Killing Fields, The Mission) is set to direct.

Joining White and Carlyle in the movie’s cast will be John Travolta (Grease, Pulp Fiction), Mandy Patinkin (Homeland), and Dermot Mulroney (Scream VI, Shameless). The film promises to examine the mystery and intrigue behind the devastating moment in American history from an in-depth and “fresh” perspective, with a script based on firsthand accounts.

Sam Giancana, the American mobster who was the boss of the Chicago Outfit, had close ties to John F. Kennedy at the time. The film’s script was written by Nicki Celozzi, Giancana’s nephew. “The whole essence of the story, the project, why we are doing this, is that it came from Sam Giancana‘s brother, Pepe, who was in the room with him during these two days,” Celozzi said.

“The story, the screenplay is their story, my family story that specifically focuses on the ‘outfit’, Giancana, and their involvement in setting up the ‘assassination’ with the second shooter, who was sent there as a fail safe backup and implemented,” Celozzi continued. According to the film’s producers, information recently revealed in the JFK files corroborates the film’s perspective on the events.

White’s Role in JFK Thriller Has Parallels to Yellowstone’s Jimmy Hurdstram

When White begins shooting for November 1963, he’s likely to find some similarities between his character of Lee Harvey Oswald and Yellowstone‘s Jimmy Hurdstram. In Taylor Sheridan’s hit Paramount+ series, White’s character is a man always getting into trouble before becoming a ranch hand. Likewise, the real-life Lee Harvey Oswald had a troubled childhood and was deemed “emotionally disturbed” at a young age before going on to shoot and kill Kennedy in 1963.

“With the addition of Robert Carlyle as Jack Ruby and Jefferson White as Lee Harvey Oswald, our star cast is now complete,” Mind’s Eye Entertainment CEO and President, Kevin DeWalt, said when news of the casting broke. “We couldn’t be more pleased, and look forward to this talented group of artists finally bringing the true version of this event to light.”

November 1963 is planning to begin shooting sometime this spring.