The absence of Kevin Costner from the second half of Yellowstone‘s fifth season was one of the defining stories of the show’s second half. While many fans may have missed Costner and his character John Dutton, there was at least one member of the cast who thought Costner’s absence made filming the show easier.
In an interview with Esquire, star Luke Grimes got candid about filming the final season. “Hopefully everyone can see that it was time,” he told Esquire. “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.”
Costner didn’t return for the final season of Yellowstone because he was filming Horizon: An American Saga, his self-financed multi-part western. Costner’s John Dutton was the show’s central character through much of its run, but the show decided to move forward without him.
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Elsewhere in his interview with Esquire, Grimes said that Costner’s absence from the show gave his character Kayce a chance to step up.
“Kayce’s kind of the silent killer, and it’s great whenever he gets to use that energy for something good,” he explained. “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. Now he gets to step up and figure everything out. So it was a nice payoff for me.”
The series finale of Yellowstone airs on Dec. 15.