As TV’s most popular show readies for its final episodes, the actor who plays the onscreen son to Kevin Costner explains why he is ready to say goodbye.
Jamie Dutton is a character who sticks with Wes Bentley. Ever since he was cast in Taylor Sheridan’s megahit Yellowstone series as the tortured attorney-general son of Kevin Costner’s cattle ranch patriarch (and now Montana Governor) John Dutton, Jamie’s sadness has been hard for the actor to shake throughout the five seasons of the Paramount Network neo-Western.
But after the midseason finale, when Jamie threw down the gauntlet and decided to go up against his father and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), the sister who despises him, Bentley has been channeling Jamie’s empowerment. “He’s going to go out like a cannonball, maybe. Just blow it all up,” he says. The prediction is a guess, as Bentley has yet to see any scripts. Reported behind-the-scenes drama between star Costner and showrunner Sheridan delayed show’s summer return, with Paramount eventually announcing that the flagship series will end with season five’s final episodes, which were set for November ahead of the writers strike. While awaiting his final turn as Jamie, Bentley talks about his process, predictions and hopes for the end: “I will miss it, but I will also celebrate it being over.”
As TV’s most popular show readies for its final episodes, the actor who plays the onscreen son to Kevin Costner explains why he is ready to say goodbye.
Jamie Dutton is a character who sticks with Wes Bentley. Ever since he was cast in Taylor Sheridan’s megahit Yellowstone series as the tortured attorney-general son of Kevin Costner’s cattle ranch patriarch (and now Montana Governor) John Dutton, Jamie’s sadness has been hard for the actor to shake throughout the five seasons of the Paramount Network neo-Western.
But after the midseason finale, when Jamie threw down the gauntlet and decided to go up against his father and Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly), the sister who despises him, Bentley has been channeling Jamie’s empowerment. “He’s going to go out like a cannonball, maybe. Just blow it all up,” he says. The prediction is a guess, as Bentley has yet to see any scripts. Reported behind-the-scenes drama between star Costner and showrunner Sheridan delayed show’s summer return, with Paramount eventually announcing that the flagship series will end with season five’s final episodes, which were set for November ahead of the writers strike. While awaiting his final turn as Jamie, Bentley talks about his process, predictions and hopes for the end: “I will miss it, but I will also celebrate it being over.”
Jamie stays with me. I don’t always want him there! When I see people talking about Method acting, my experience is that I’m trying as hard as I can to shake him. It’s been tricky though, because of the length of time. Because of the dynamics. I don’t know what they are. I’m sort of on my own here. I don’t really know what’s going on. Life happens and it drifts a bit. But I have a feeling it’s so ingrained that once we start really gearing up, it will all just come flooding back, and be overwhelming again (laughing).
Now that you’ve had more time to ruminate on that ending, has anything changed in your opinion about when we last saw Jamie Dutton?
I’m nervous and hesitant to think too far ahead, because I don’t know where it’s actually going. I’m nervous to create things in my head that might not actually come to fruition when the scripts come. But it has saturated a bit more in me what that feeling was at the end of last season, that breakthrough he sort of had; that moment where he decided that it doesn’t matter what I get or don’t get in this life. That he’s going to go out like a cannonball maybe. Just blow it all up. There was a switch in him. So with that forward momentum, it seems hard to avoid that he’s on the attack.
In a previous interview, you told me that “messing with John Dutton only comes to one end.” The fate of the show hadn’t yet been decided. Now that season five will be the official end of Yellowstone, how are the stakes raised even more when you return?
We’re at a point where I think everything is possible with the Duttons. It’s so hot and combustible right now that it could blow them all up together. I think the potential for that is real. But I also know that I am always surprised by Taylor and the turns and directions. I’m kind of waiting for whatever extra thing he is thinking about that I’m not thinking about. But with the tension and danger right now, it potentially could be either they are all gone, or one of them survives.
Your process is that you always go in with the expectation that any episode could be your last. Is there relief knowing you will finally find out?
There is both relief and trepidation because we put so much into this. You feel like it’s a part of you. Whatever the outcome is, it’s a part of you. So that trepidation is there, that sort of fear of the unknown. But I am excited to see the culmination of all of this. What is the resolve here? Especially with John. I’m intrigued like everyone else.
So you haven’t seen any scripts yet?
I haven’t, no. I truly don’t have a clue where it’s going. I haven’t seen or heard anything.
With production remaining up in the air also now with the writers strike, how prevalent is Jamie for you now?
Jamie is so prevalent in me. It’s more like: When do I open the gate? When do I let this beast out and take over my life! I’m manning the gate. And it becomes easier because I don’t have a date of when we’re returning. All of these things are out of my control, so I’m just going to hold this gate closed until it’s time to let him loose.
John Dutton looms so large over Jaime. Given everything you and Kevin Costner have played out over the years, how do you feel knowing his ending on the show is coming?
I have a lot of thoughts. Obviously, I’m not the writer. But as a viewer, there are so many potentials for Jamie. Does he go down with John? Does John go down because of Jamie? Does Jamie have a hand in it at all, or does it turn out Jamie tries to protect him? It’s hard to read Jamie. Is he playing everybody right now? He’s realizing now that he has this power and potential for more power? I can’t tell what’s real and what’s not with him. There are so many potential ways he deals with John’s ending.
Have you given more thought about the conversation viewers didn’t hear between John and Beth, where they began plotting their attack on Jamie?
Oh, I do all the time. I picture Beth going for him. She’s done with Jamie. I can’t imagine it’s anything other than: “We have to take him out, for real.” And discussing how to do it. So, that brings me fear.
Your confrontations with Kelly in this brother-sister dynamic have been must-see TV. You have spoken about the care you offer one another in your most difficult scenes. What are you looking forward to playing out with the end of that relationship?
I think a lot about working with Kelly because it’s one of the most special experiences I’ve had in my whole career. We’ve really hammered something in here, and it keeps getting deeper. There’s so much nuance in every scene; we keep pushing each other further apart and there’s something so fascinating about playing that. Even on days when we’re not fighting and other people are around and we’re just picking at each other, it’s still the prevalent thing in the scene for me.
But, it’s also so hard to yell at each other and hurt each other like that. The feeling of degradation I have to go through and her being heartless; it’s hard on us to get through the day. And so we do it and we laugh at each other, and poke a little fun at each other, and we also congratulate each other on giving it for a whole day, a whole scene. Something that is vital to the show. The more I think about it, the more I really am appreciative and thankful I’ve had that experience with her. And the writing from Taylor for all of us, these are dreams come true.
There is both physical and psychological violence between them. What sticks with you from season five that will shift their relationship?
There’s a real vital moment in our final scene in the midseason finale, where he realizes that Beth does not know something so important to John, and Jamie knows it. And I think that revelation of John not trusting her with everything means Jamie has something on her. He sees for the first time in a long time that feeling in her, and it’s an empowering moment that opens the floodgate for Jamie. He has more power in this dynamic than he has been realizing. And it’s not physical. He’s not going to beat her physically. He’s tried and given up, so he’s trying with information. I think that gave him power and him having power on her for the first time in years is invigorating in a toxic way. And I think that feeling will carry on in their relationship.