“I think, as we’ve seen in the world of Yellowstone, happiness is pretty hard to come by,” Grimes tells Parade.com in this exclusive interview. “I think that he’s going to keep trying, he’ll never stop trying to find the path of least resistance for him, his wife and his son. I think for now he knows that [moving off the ranch is what] they need. Whether or not that lasts very long, I have no idea. I think the way the show plays out, it surprises all of us with its twists and turns. I’m looking forward to finding out just as much as you.” The one thing that has worked out for Kayce was his appointment as Livestock Commissioner. It was a job his father had to talk him into taking but it turns out that he is as good at it as it is good for him. “At first, it almost felt like putting on a clown suit to him; it just felt very foreign and like, ‘Why am I behind a desk?’” Grimes said. “That first scene behind a desk, it just wasn’t something I’d seen coming. I think he’s warming up to it and seeing that he can actually affect change, do some good, use that position, that platform, and that badge to help people day-to-day. I think that’s when he started to realize, ‘Maybe I could get into this and use some of the skills that I learned in my previous job, mixed with some maturity, to figure out how to actually affect change.’” Grimes also spoke to us about the close-to-death’s-doors encounters the Duttons faced at the beginning of the season, honoring the men and women who have served our country through his performance, what it’s like to work with Kevin Costner in season 4, and Kayce’s relationships with his siblings, Jamie (Wes Bentley) and Beth (Kelly Reilly). Kayce almost lost his entire family this season. How does that change him going forward? I think he’s growing up a little bit in a weird way. Every season, you’re seeing him learn how to function better in society after having been at war and gone through all the things he’s gone through and the sort of demons that he’s dealt with from his past. Every year he adjusts more and more to being a functioning member of society, a better husband and a better father. I think that part of his journey in the show, is watching someone heal themselves from something so terrible. What has been the most challenging part about playing him for you taking all those things into consideration? Just trying to do justice to someone who has gone through that. Those who have gone overseas and put their life on the line and seen some terrible things and then they come back, and we expect them just to be who they were before they left. Obviously, to me the biggest challenge is to make sure that I honor those people as much as I can, as much of Kayce’s world that we see that’s in that vein, trying to do justice to the character and to the real people who’ve gone through stuff like that. There was that scene where Kayce and John were in the hot springs together, that great father-son bonding moment. What is it like working with Kevin Costner now four seasons into it? What kind of rapport have you guys established? I think, obviously, season 1 there’s a pinch me moment sharing the screen with him and being on set. You’re somewhat intimidated by this guy who’s done everything in the business and is a legend. And then slowly over the seasons, the icon is still there but you get to know the man, too. As you get to know someone and not just a persona, you get more comfortable around them. He loves his job and he’s gotten very far with what he does. There’s a lot that I can learn from him. Kayce’s giving Jamie the benefit of the doubt but we now know that Jamie’s father was behind the attack on the Duttons. How is he going to deal with his brother? He just told him he loved him. The thing with Kayce, he’s always trying to see the good in people. I think with his brother, he’s always done that. He’s a lover at heart; he’s full of love for his brother. I think unless there is some concrete evidence that Jamie is absolutely the one that came after them all, then he’s going to try to give him the benefit of the doubt. And Kayce’s relationship with Beth. She’s sure that Jamie’s behind it all. How are Kayce and Beth going to do this season? I think, once again, they don’t get enough scenes together. Kelly and I always joke that we’re on opposite ends of the world on this show, we’re always doing two different things. Hopefully at one point, we’ll get to team up a little bit or just have some scenes. I think all we’ve really seen so far is them fail at having dinner. So, yeah, hopefully we’ll get more Kayce and Beth to come. When Yellowstone came on, I did not imagine that it was going to be the huge hit that it’s become. Do you think it’s the fact that it’s a Western? Do you think it’s the fact that it’s a family drama? What do you attribute its success to? I think having Kevin in a Western and people seeing that ad and that poster definitely drew in an initial audience, because there is an audience for that. Everybody loves a good Western and, obviously, for the first few seasons it was a certain demographic. I think now you get more and more people and it’s because, first of all, Taylor Sheridan is one of the best writers out there. It might happen to take place with cowboy hats and horses and all that stuff, but the writing is so good it’s relatable to anyone. It’s a human drama. And the Duttons are people who say the things you wish you could say and do the things you wish you could do. People, really, I think, look up to them for that. Any time they’re in a confrontation they kind of handle it the way that you wish you could in the real world, and it’s a great escape for people. Also, just this beautiful scenery. When people get off work and they go home, they want to turn something on to get into this world where you’re surrounded by mountains and this beauty. It’s very vast. It’s a lot of things, but I think it all comes down to Taylor understands all those things and he really has his finger on the pulse of how to entertain people. Yellowstone airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Paramount Network. Next, Everything We Know About Yellowstone Season 4
