With Yellowstone coming to a close on Sunday, Dec. 15, some of the stars are speaking out about the experience and what they’ll miss. While speaking with Esquire, Luke Grimes revealed a little behind-the-scenes tidbit about Kevin Costner’s exit from the series.
“Hopefully everyone can see that it was time,” Grimes told the outlet. “To be really honest, there was a part of Kevin being gone that meant some of the conflict was gone. Obviously, it didn’t make it super fun to be around. Not pointing any fingers, but it was actually the easiest season we’ve filmed.”
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Costner didn’t return for the final half of Season 5, bringing the show to an end without John Dutton. He left after scheduling conflicts with the production of his film Horizon: An American Saga, butting heads with Taylor Sheridan in the process.
For Grimes, his experience after Costner’s exit allowed his character, Kayce Dutton, to take more of a lead role amid the ongoing rivalry between his sister and adopted brother.
“Kayce’s kind of the silent killer, and it’s great whenever he gets to use that energy for something good. He’s a character who is under his father’s thumb—just sinking into the background because he would rather be not noticed than have to do the s— his dad wanted him to do,” Grimes adds. “Now he gets to step up and figure everything out. So it was a nice payoff for me.”
With the main series ending on Paramount Network, there is still plenty of Dutton stories to come. The spinoff series 1923 will return for a second season in February, but the story of Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser’s Beth and Rip will continue in a spinoff. There is also the rumored Matthew McConaughey spinoff that could be coming and The Madison, another spinoff starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Matthew Fox and Suits alum Patrick J. Adams.
The final episode of Yellowstone airs Sunday, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. ET on Paramount Network.
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