It’s by no means unusual for actors to not want to watch their work, in fact, it’s incredibly common. However, their reasoning for why they don’t want to see themselves on screen can vary greatly. In Luke Grimes’ case, he doesn't want to watch Yellowstone for a big reason, and it’s not just because he doesn’t like seeing himself as Kayce Dutton on screen, it’s a bit deeper than that.
While Luke Grimes has been in his fair share of projects, The Independent called him joining the Yellowstone cast as Kayce “the defining role of his career,” and it seems he agrees. He’s been playing the youngest of John Dutton’s kids since 2018, and going into the final episodes of Taylor Sheridan’s Western it will be fascinating to see where he goes. Speaking about his time in Yellowstone, the actor made it clear to the outlet that it’s one of the most important jobs he’s had, explaining:
If I could have figured out my dream role at the age that I got that job, it would have been Kayce.
Now, with that in mind, it was revealed that Luke Grimes holds this role so close to him that it's almost sacred. Kayce Dutton is one of the principal characters in Yellowstone, and alongside Kevin Costner's John, Kelly Reilly's Beth, Cole Hauser's Rip and Wes Bently's Jamie, he leads the cast. To this point, the actor explained why he can’t watch the megahit, saying:
I’m so scared that I’m gonna watch it and not like what I did.
While I do wish Luke Grimes wanted to see Yellowstone, I get where he’s coming from. By not watching the show he can’t judge his performance or think about what could have been done in retrospect.
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However, as a massive fan of Yellowstone, I think Grimes is missing out. While I have a few qualms with Kayce’s story, overall, he’s my favorite character. Learning about his relationship with Monica, Tate, his father and the ranch has been one of the most fascinating storylines in the show, and hopefully, come Season 5 we’ll get even more of it.
Also, I’d love to see him more involved in Beth and Jamie’s feud and the bunkhouse drama.
I really think Kayce is poised to have a massive season, and I wish Luke Grimes could see just how great he is on this show on screen (although he likely knows just by working on it and being on set).
However, it’s understandable why he wouldn’t want to.
Having the memory of shooting the series is likely very meaningful, and as he said, Kayce is a “dream” job. If I were him, I’d also be worried that watching the show might cause second thoughts about a performance.
Well, all this is to say, I get why Luke Grimes won’t watch Yellowstone, however, I also think he’s missing out, because he’s great. Now, as the final episodes of the beloved drama approach on the 2024 TV schedule, we know the actor probably won’t be turning in. However, if you want to see how Kayce Dutton’s story plays out, you can stream Yellowstone with a Peacock subscription.
