Yellowstone's Wendy Moniz Defends Kevin Costner's On-Set Behavior Amid BTS Chaos
"Yellowstone" Season 5 has seemingly been in a constant state of turmoil. Behind-the-scenes drama has led to reports that Kevin Costner, who plays series lead and family patriarch John Dutton, will not return for the second part of Season 5. The ending of "Yellowstone" Season 5, Part 1 doesn't close out John's arc entirely, so it would be strange if he's completely absent from the final episodes. And while much has been reported on about Costner's reported behavior surrounding the show, one person in his corner is Wendy Moniz, who plays former governor turned senator of Montana Lynelle Perry on the show.
Moniz has shared many scenes with Costner as both a political and romantic ally. When speaking with US Weekly, the actor was nothing but complimentary toward him, "We definitely had a natural ease with each other out of the gate and it came across on screen it seems. I think sometimes people have chemistry naturally and sometimes they don't, and they have to fake it and it still works. It's that intangible thing."
Moniz has really become a major supporting player in the world of "Yellowstone," being a member of the cast since Season 1 and appearing in six out of the eight episodes of Season 5 that have aired so far. And sharing scenes with Costner didn't bother her at all, "Working with [Costner] has just been really easy and a pleasure and we find humor in our scenes together and playfulness and I think that helps with the dynamic too."
Not everyone is as complimentary toward Kevin Costner as Wendy Moniz
It's great Wendy Moniz had an enjoyable time working with Kevin Costner. He's a legendary actor and an Academy Award winner, so there was undoubtedly much for her to appreciate and learn from him. But she naturally works with Costner in a more limited capacity compared to Taylor Sheridan and the rest of the lead cast. US Weekly notes that it spoke with Moniz at PaleyFest, where much of the lead cast dropped out of participating at the last second. While US Weekly notes this was explained away as "scheduling conflicts," another source told US Weekly, "The ongoing issues between Kevin, who's also an executive producer, and Taylor is what led to the last-minute cancelation."
While other actors have praised Costner's on-set behavior, others, speaking under anonymity, haven't been quite as flowery. Costner's filming drama allegedly upset some co-stars due to him insisting everyone else work around his schedule. Costner was allegedly the one who wanted to divide "Yellowstone" Season 5 into two parts, which makes things difficult for cast and crew members to secure other work if they're tied up with Paramount's western at odd intervals.
As of right now, "Yellowstone" Season 5, Part 2 is slated to come out in November 2024, two years after Season 5, Part 1 debuted. Wendy Moniz will likely return as Senator Perry in some fashion, and hopefully, she gets at least one more scene with Costner's John Dutton. If John's mysteriously absent, maybe Season 5, Part 2 could utilize a storyline Moniz wants to see with her character, "Running for president!"