Luke Grimes Discusses Kevin Costner's Departure From Yellowstone And Its Impact

Luke Grimes has addressed his co-star Kevin Costner's exit from the hit series Yellowstone, saying it didn't negatively impact the show. The popular Western drama, created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, premiered in 2018. It follows the Dutton family, led by patriarch John Dutton (Costner), who controls the largest contiguous cattle ranch in the U.S. and their ongoing battle to defend their land and lifestyle against constant threats.

Tensions escalate as John's children become embroiled in the fight: lawyer Jamie (Wes Bentley), tough-as-nails daughter Beth (Kelly Reilly), and cowboy Kayce (Luke Grimes). The series explores themes of power, family loyalty, greed, and survival in the American West.

Season 5, Part 1 of Yellowstone aired from November 2022 to January 2023, with the second part of the final series set to premiere on November 10, 2024. It was announced in May 2023 that the fifth season of Yellowstone would be the last, with production being paused due to reported disputes between Sheridan and Costner, followed by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.

While there has been backlash from some fans who aren't happy about Costner leaving, during a conversation with Newsweek, Grimes said this hasn't negatively impacted the show. He emphasized that the show has been through a lot over its seven years, and the team has adapted to changes.

In his words, "I just feel like it would be unfair of me to kind of talk about any of that because, you know, [the show] was seven years long and there are so many things that happened that I know about and so many things that happen that I don't know about." He also mentioned that the show managed to finish in a way that would satisfy the audience.

Following his departure from Yellowstone, Costner took a financial risk with his project Horizon: An American Saga, which he plans to release in four parts. Chapter 1 hit theaters on June 28, while Chapter 2 followed on September 7. There are speculations that this Western project played a role in the sudden end of the beloved series.

Despite the drama surrounding Costner's exit, Grimes reassured fans that they would be satisfied with the ending of Yellowstone. He stated, "I think it'll just be very satisfying because it's, I mean, that's what you want. The ending of a great show is something unpredictable and satisfying."

Yellowstone is based around a working cattle ranch in Montana, and through filming the series, Grimes fell in love with the landlocked state. So much so that he and his wife eventually decided to pack up their lives in L.A. and move there.

"I was living in L.A. when I started coming up here for work. And L.A. never really felt like home to me, although it was great to me and I have no complaints," he shared. This connection to Montana has led him to work with Carhartt for its History In The Making campaign, which celebrates the hardworking ranchers and farmers in the state.

Grimes has such an affinity with Montana that he has since worked with Carhartt for its "History In The Making" campaign, in which he features in the brand's short film, Made in Montana, to celebrate the hardworking ranchers and farmers in Montana who are actively working to preserve their land and provide the essential food and natural resources that people rely on every day.

Before he was Kayce Dutton, Grimes appeared as Navy SEAL Marc Alan Lee in the biographical war movie American Sniper (2014). A year later, the 40-year-old landed the part of Elliot Grey, Christian Grey's younger brother in the Fifty Shades of Grey film franchise, and had a brief six-episode stint in the TV series True Blood (2008-2014) as vampire James. Grimes most recently starred in the Netflix original romantic comedy Happiness for Beginners alongside Ellie Kemper.