Luke Grimes says 'Yellowstone' was easier to work on after Kevin Costner left.
The 40-year-old actor - who plays Kayce Dutton, the son of Costner’s John Dutton III in the Paramount drama series - admitted that there was less "conflict" after Costner's character was killed off in the final season.
He told Esquire: "Hopefully everyone can see that it was time. 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."
And, Grimes believes it was time for 'Yellowstone' to end after five seasons.
He said: "It feels like good timing. Seven years is a long time to do anything, and I had never played a character for more than a few months before. I’ve loved all of it.”
"But there is a part of it that — once you read those final episodes — sees that there’s a finality to it. There’s always talks of spin-offs.
"I’d do it [but] I just don’t understand how it would work once the story ends. Kayce wants to cowboy and be happy with his family. He doesn’t want to kill people anymore. He doesn’t want the weight of a huge mega ranch that isn’t sustainable in today’s times. He wants his little slice of heaven. It’s that simple."
There was reportedly tension between Costner and series creator Taylor Sheridan before Costner's departure.
Kevin previously told Deadline: "I don’t want to get down in the gutter with the 'Yellowstone' thing but what I’m telling you is straight up. I have taken a beating from those guys and I know a lot of times where it’s coming from. I just elected not to get into that.
“I made ‘Yellowstone’ the first priority, and to insinuate anything else would be wrong."
