‘Yellowstone’ Cast Talks Kevin Costner’s Exit Ahead of Final Episodes: Video

It was his last trip.

“Yellowstone” star Kevin Costner left the show after the first half of the fifth and final season.

As the second half of season five nears its premiere (Sunday, November 10, 8 p.m. on Paramount), the series’ stars are reflecting on his exit.

“He’s such a big part of this show. I’m so happy to be able to work with him,” Wes Bentley told The Post.

The American Beauty actor added: “And I learned a lot from him as an actor. But he’s also a storyteller, a director and he’s also a really interesting guy who knows a lot about history. We had lots of great conversations. So I’m just grateful that I ever got to work with him.”

The hit cowboy drama, which premiered in 2018 and attracted over 17 million viewers, follows the Dutton family, owners of the largest ranch in Montana, including patriarch John (Costner) and his adult children Kayce (Luke Grimes) and Jamie ( Wes Bentley). ), Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Beth’s husband Rip (Cole Hauser).

Costner’s exit came amid a storm of behind-the-scenes drama and rumors of a feud with creator Taylor Sheridan.

In May 2023, it was announced that Costner would not be returning to “Yellowstone” after Season 5. (This was before Paramount said that season 5 would be the series’ last.) That same month, it was announced that the series would end with season 5, leading to speculation that the show ended in part because Costner left .

“My last conversation with Kevin was that he had this passion project that he wanted to direct,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in June, referring to Costner’s film “Horizon.”

Sheridan’s report gave the impression that Costner prioritized “Horizon” over “Yellowstone.”

However, Costner had a different story.

In May 2024, Costner told Deadline that “Yellowstone” was “top” on his priority list. “I didn’t do ‘Horizon’ because I was tired of doing ‘Yellowstone.'” That’s a bullshit story. I didn’t make “Horizon” to compete with “Yellowstone.” The [project] is something I’ve had for a long time,” he said.

Costner added that ongoing speculation about what was going on behind the scenes “was not true.”

The Dances With Wolves star said his film Horizon was supposed to “fit into the gaps” between filming Yellowstone, but he said: “They just kept moving their gaps around.”

“I was right there [Taylor Sheridan]and he said what we were going to do and I believed him,” Costner said. “And we didn’t make it.”

In June, Costner also addressed his fans in an Instagram video.

“I think of Yellowstone, this beloved series that I love and that I know you love. “I just realized that I can’t continue in season five or in the future,” the Oscar winner said.

“I loved it and I know you did. “I just wanted to let you know that I’m not coming back,” he shared.

Grimes told the Post about Costner’s exit: “When you lose such a big presence, it also carries a certain weight in the story. You know, he’s John Dutton. He is the patriarch. He’s the movie star on our set…So if he leaves, of course everything changes,” he said.

He added: “But art imitates life and that’s how it will feel in the story. I think in return you use that weight and turn it into something very compelling for the story.”

Ian Bohen, who plays Ryan, one of the ranch hands in “Yellowstone,” told The Post: “As they say, the show must go on. “You have to do your part and the rest will work itself out.”

Denim Richards, who plays Colby, another ranch hand, said that he wasn’t even sure if the second half of season five would happen due to the drama over Costner’s departure and the long wait between the first and second half of season five.

“Many of us thought maybe 18 months ago that this would probably be the end.”

But after Costner left the show, “It’s the next guy in line, right?” he said.

“He’s been a juggernaut for over four decades,” Richards said of Costner. “I had the opportunity to learn so much from him. Of course there will be some gaps that you feel. But that’s what I think [creator Taylor Sheridan] wrote characters that have so much depth and managed to fill those gaps.”

Richards acknowledged that there had been “a lot of speculation over the last year” about what was going on with Costner.

“But I mean, it’s entertainment, right? Things change so much…at a certain point you just have to show up and do your job because there are so many people making different decisions that are outside of our control.”

Wendy Moniz, who plays John’s friend and sometimes love interest Senator Lynelle Perry, told The Post, “I feel a little sad, a little bittersweet, but it feels like it’s time” about the show’s end .

Filming the final episodes without Costner “was a little different, but mostly because we’re such a strong ensemble and it’s so much about family storytelling.”

John Emmet Tracy, who plays Ellis Steele – one of the characters who wants to turn the Dutton Ranch into an airport – said of Costner: “He’s clearly a Hollywood legend. And I think his involvement in the show played a big part in making the show legendary. But I would just say that in the end people will enjoy the way this series goes.”