Emerson Miller / ©Paramount Network / courtesy Everett Collection

‘Yellowstone’ Cast Struggled After Kevin Costner’s Departure and Long Hiatus: ‘I Was Having a Really Hard Time Locking Back In’

by · Variety

One of television’s biggest shows is back after nearly two years.

“Yellowstone,” the hit Paramount Network drama, is set to return on Sunday night for the second half of its fifth season. Yet audiences have waited since New Year’s Day 2023 for a new episode of the series. During that time, Dutton family patriarch and “Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner left the show, which then caused major rewrites for the rest of the season.

During the show’s carpet premiere on Thursday night at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the cast hit the red carpet for a reunion that felt like a joyous homecoming. Although the star of the show is now gone and it was only 48 hours after a contentious Election Day, the vibes were good among the core cast.

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That said, they were honest about how things changed when they went back to the ranch after Costner’s departure and a long break between seasons. Luke Grimes, who plays Kayce, said it took him a beat to get back into the pace of the show.

“I was having a really hard time locking back in,” he says. “I’ve been playing this guy for a long time, but a two-year break… It’s hard to find the nuance again. Part of the way I did it was I waited until the last minute to read the last episode. I had a feeling that was going to be what hooked me back in, and it worked — I read the final episode, and I was a mess. But then I felt like, ‘I remember who he is now!'”

Luke Grimes, Wes Bentley, Kelly Reilly, Kelsey Asbille, Cole Hauser, Gil Birmingham at the “Yellowstone” Season 5 New York Premiere at The Museum of Modern Art on November 7, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)Variety via Getty Images

Kelsey Asbille, who plays Kayce’s wife, Monica, found gratitude in the fact that they were ultimately able to continue filming the series.

“We were so grateful to be back,” she says. “Especially after working on the show for so long, going back to ‘Yellowstone’ and coming home, there was a lot of joy at getting to finish the show strong.”

Judging by the gasps heard at the top-secret premiere screening after the red carpet, audiences will also be grateful “Yellowstone” has returned.