Kevin Costner's popular Paramount Network drama Yellowstone has quickly garnered a massive fan following. That's probably because viewers love the world that creators Taylor Sheridan and John Linson have created, along with all of the members of the Dutton crew.
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The series follows a fictional family who owns the largest ranch in Montana that's roughly the same size as the state of Rhode Island. The Dutton family, led by their patriarch John (Costner), has to make some questionable decisions in order to maintain their legacy and help keep the ranching way of life going strong despite the changing times. Whether you like traditional cowboy movies or not, you're guaranteed to get sucked into this dramatic and at times violent world that just gets better and better each season.
One of our favorites to watch over the course of the sereis has been Kayce Dutton, played by actor Luke Grimes. Kayce has had a really interesting storyline over the show's four seasons, and it seems like he has a lot of drama coming in Yellowstone season 5. He's a veteran, a family man, and seems to be the only sibling both Jamie and Beth Dutton actually like. His hands definitely aren't clean in terms of following his father's instructions to protect the family ranch, but he's an easy character to root for.
Who is Luke Grimes?
Amy Sussman/Getty Images for Deadline Hollywood
Before starring on Yellowstone, Luke Timothy Grimes grew up in Dayton, Ohio, the son of a Pentecostal pastor. After graduating from Dayton Christian High School, he moved to the big city to pursue his dream and studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Soon after, he was accepting acting roles right and left.
His earliest credits include film appearances in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane; War Eagle, Arkansas; and Assassination of a High School President, but in 2009 he landed a role on the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters. In the fourth season, Grimes' role of Ryan Lafferty became a main character on the series, which was easily his big break starring opposite the likes of Sally Field and Calista Flockhart.
Soon after, Grimes had his first cowboy role in the FX failed pilot turned TV movie Outlaw Country. This led to a role in season six of HBO's vampire hit, True Blood.
Grimes stepped into feature films when he landed the role of Marc Lee in the Clint Eastwood film American Sniper, starring opposite Bradley Cooper.
Grimes' other major roles in Hollywood include playing Christian Grey's brother, Elliot Grey, in the film series Fifty Shades of Grey, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, as well as the role of Teddy in the 2016 remake of The Magnificent Seven. He also starred in the 2017 film El Camino Christmas.
Yellowstone's Kayce Dutton
Photo via Paramount Network
Grimes told CinemaBlend that his current role as Kayce Dutton is a dream come true and his favorite role to date. He loves working with all of his co-stars, like Cole Hauser and Coster, on set every day.
"Some of my favorite things about the show are those days when I just know that it's going to be me, and a bunch of the bunkhouse guys, and Kevin [Costner], and Cole [Hauser], are all on horseback together all day long, running around chasing cows or doing whatever," he said. "I mean, those are some of the most like, I mean, it's just so dreamy, right? It's like when you're young and you want to do this for a living, you hope it's going to be like that."
On the show, Kayce is the youngest son of Costner's character John Dutton and a former US Navy SEAL. He starts the show living on the nearby Native American reservation with his wife Monica, played by Kelsey Asbille, and their son Tate, played by Brecken Merrill. It was his marriage to Monica that caused a rift between Kayce and his father initially after they discovered she was accidentally pregnant. Despite years apart the premiere episode of Yellowstone brought them back together and John has spent the past four seasons working on not only repairing his relationship with his son, but getting to know his grandson Tate better.
Grimes told the Glass Magazine that it has been an interesting ride coming back season after season to play Kayce as his story develops. From his family drama to his military experience, he is certainly a layered character who has a lot of inner demons he's battling.
"It's definitely an interesting exercise to go back every six months and put on last year's clothes and pick up with what feels like another life," he said. "The main difference for me is TV evolves in front of you and you become part of the audience. With a film, you know it all the way through going in."
Will Kayce and Monica make it?
Photo via Paramount Network
In his personal life, Grimes has been married to his wife Bianca since 2018, but things don't look too promising for Kayce and Monica in the new season. Whether or not you've been rooting for this couple since the very beginning, they have proven that they really want to put in the work in order to put their family first.
Though Kayce certainly wants to support his Dutton family legacy, his first priority is Monica and Tate. He almost lost his wife once, but how will things change now that his former ranch hand Avery is back in the mix during Monica's new pregnancy? Hopefully they pull through but if we've learned anything from watching Yellowstone its that no ones happiness is guaranteed...especially if you're a Dutton.
READ MORE: Who Plays Beth Dutton on 'Yellowstone'? Kelly Reilly Brings the Series' Toughest Character to Life
Yellowstone Dutton Ranch Hat
This article was originally published in July of 2020.
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