Why Wes Bentley Will 'Celebrate' the End of 'Yellowstone'
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The hit Peacock series will conclude after season 5
Paramount Network / Courtesy Everett Collection
Wes Bentley is ready to bid farewell to Yellowstone.
Bentley, 44, plays antagonist Jamie Dutton on the hit show, starring alongside Kevin Costner as his father John Dutton. Paramount announced in May that the series would conclude after its fifth season. Many were saddened by the news — after all, it was "most-watched scripted series in all of television" in 2021, according to CBS — but Bentley says he will “celebrate” the end of Yellowstone.
"I’m going to miss the challenge. Every single scene is literally the hardest scene I’ve ever had to do," the actor told The Hollywood Reporter. "It will always be there as one of the hardest things I’ve ever accomplished, or tried to accomplish, bringing out all the facets and nuances of this complicated character. So I will miss it, but I will also celebrate it being over.”
Related: 'Yellowstone' Season 5: Everything to Know
Randy Shropshire/Deadline
Bentley elaborated on the “challenge” of playing a complex and “heartless” character like Jamie: “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.”
He also admitted that he has a love-hate relationship with playing Jamie. “Like, I hate playing him,” he said, laughing. “I try not to judge my characters, but it’s been enough years that it’s hard not to at this point. It’s very hard to play him. And at the same time, I love it.”
Paramount Network / Courtesy Everett Collection
Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly and Wes BentleyYellowstone concluding isn’t a total shock for Bentley. The star shared that he’s “always been prepared” for his character to somehow be written off the series or for “some version of the show ending.”
“You never really know who is going to be in or out or, the way shows go now, who is going to die and what season,” he explained. “You just never know. I have enough experience in this business to know that, even when things are going well. Succession is a good example; it’s peaking and ending at the same time. I’ve always been prepared for some version of the show ending or I’m out of it.”
“You just know the business and always expect the craziest thing to happen,” he added. “And often, it does.”
Another Yellowstone spinoff series has been confirmed to be in the works with Matthew McConaughey, 53, in talks to star. While it’s uncertain whether Costner, 68, will be involved in any future installments, Bentley said he’s “open” to possibly returning as Jamie.
“If Jamie fits in, I definitely would be interested in being a part of that,” he shared. “But if it’s the end of the road for Jamie, like I said, I’m ready to wrap him up and celebrate the attempts at accomplishing this character.”
“We’ll have to see what’s coming down the road for Jamie,” Bentley added.
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All episodes of Yellowstone are now available to stream on Peacock, with the concluding half of season 5 still to come.
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