Yellowstone took the world by storm in 2018 when the neo-western debuted with beloved rancher John Dutton, his fiery daughter Beth and her hunky love interest Rip Wheeler.
Now, with season 5B just days away from airing, costume designer Johnetta Boone has revealed what actors Kevin Costner and Kelly Reilly are really like behind the scenes.
Working closely with the stars of the show, Boone said Kevin was a ‘refreshing’ person to work with, but admitted she had to prove her talent to the Hollywood star when she took on the role of costume designer in season two.
‘Sometimes he would question it in the beginning a lot and say, ‘Why did you choose this? I’d like to see some other options”,’ she explained.
‘Then I would bring the other options in and he would say, “Okay, we’ll go with what you selected because you did that for a reason.” He knew that I did my homework.’
Boone added: ‘He would ask me about scenes and I would let him know what the scenes are and what the duration of the scenes were and why it was necessary for things to be associated in such ways from the beginning to the end of a scene.
‘He really appreciated that and that was refreshing.’
Yellowstone costume designer Johnetta Boone has revealed what Kevin Costner, 69, (right) and Kelly Reilly, 47, (left) are really like behind the scenes of the popular western series
Boone took over as costume designer on season two of Yellowstone when Oscar-winning designer Ruth E. Carter left after season one to take a long break following her critically acclaimed work on Black Panther.
Despite being tested by Costner in the early days of her work on the show, Boone said: ‘He is absolutely fantastic. Very fantastic. It was a joy working with him.
‘There comes a point in time where you really know that people appreciate and respect the work that you’re doing and he absolutely did every step of the way.
‘It was refreshing to see how he would defer to my style decisions and choices with things.’
When asked if she would miss working with Costner, who has confirmed he will not be returning to star in season 5B of the series, Boone said simply: ‘Yes.’
Boone took over as costume designer on season two of Yellowstone when Oscar-winning designer Ruth E. Carter left after season one to take a long break following her critically acclaimed work on Black Panther
As for Reilly, 47, Boone sang her praises of the British actress, but admitted she was shocked by her accent when the pair first met.
‘When I first met her, I was flabbergasted by the fact that she’s British because she nails that American dialect and accent so beautifully,’ Boone said.
‘I just couldn’t stop thinking about the fact that she was not American.’
She went on to say that Reilly is ‘the polar opposite’ to her character Beth, who is often portrayed as a very feisty vicious character on-screen.
‘[Reilly] is lovely. She’s so sweet. She’s very personable. She’s very engaging. She’s very supportive. She’s fantastic,’ Boone said.
‘Sometimes she’s a bit shy and soft spoken and it’s very opposite of who Beth is.’
But despite sitting at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to temperament, Boone revealed Reilly and Beth have one very important thing in common.
Boone revealed that fans find it hard to recreate Beth’s iconic looks on the show because half of the wardrobe is Kelly’s own
‘Kelly, her off-screen style is very similar [to Beth’s] and she is very much dialled into her character,’ the costume designer said.
‘Our fittings with her take anywhere from two to three hours because we’re going over every single word on the page that builds the sentence, that builds the scene, to make sure that we get it all right.
‘A lot of the pieces that are in her closet are actually hers, which is why the viewing audience can’t find them, because they’re vintage.’
Boone added that Reilly often brings in accessories or items from home to complement the outfits designed for her character – which have recently inspired a resurgence in western themed fashion.
She revealed that at least a whopping half of Beth’s character closet actually comes from Reilly’s own personal wardrobe at home.
‘Of Kelly’s wardrobe, I would say at least one third, if not half, are pieces from her closet that we then intermix with pieces from our purchases,’ Boone said.
‘Maybe she brings a pair of earrings that she likes that she wears with a suit that we provided for her. So it just depends on what those pieces are and how they work.
‘She has incredible taste so it’s worked out well that those pieces work for Beth and that they also work in the scene. I feel like I hit the jackpot with her, I feel like it’s the perfect marriage.’
Boone said Kevin was a ‘refreshing’ person to work with, but admitted she had to prove her talent to the Hollywood star when she took on the role of costume designer in season two
When it comes to the western’s iconic nude scenes, Boone still plays a part in taking care of the actors alongside the intimacy coordinator, even if they’re wearing very little during filming.
‘There are quite a few characters that have nude scenes and so we provide modesty for them when they need modesty,’ she said.
‘If they don’t like certain body parts to be visible, then we do everything we can to protect them. We have a very close relationship with them.
‘I have standbys that are costumers that are on set that make sure the actors have everything they need so they are comfortable from the moment they have to disrobe until the camera cuts and it’s no longer filming.
‘They step in to provide them with clothing to cover up their nudity. When you have a relationship with the cast they know that you’re taking care of them and that they don’t have to worry about anything… We’re all professionals.’
Meanwhile, Reilly is ‘the polar opposite’ to her character Beth, who is often portrayed as a very feisty vicious character on-screen
Season 5B was originally set to be the last installment of Yellowstone in the wake of Costner’s exit as the lead character John Dutton.
Costner revealed on Instagram in June he would not be returning to the show for an appearance in season 5B, which premieres on November 11.
‘Hi everyone. I just want to reach out and let you know that after this long year and a half of working on Horizon and doing all the things that’s required, and thinking about Yellowstone—that beloved series that I love, that I know you love—I just realised that I’m not going to be able to continue Season 5B or into the future,’ Costner announced somberly while gazing into the camera.
Previous reports indicated Costner was likely done for good with the series after conflicts between himself and producers over pay, his schedule and his availability to film his multi-part Western epic Horizon: An American Saga.
Yellowstone season 5B will release to Stan on November 11
Despite the initial announcement that season 5B would be the end of Yellowstone, emerging reports have since said a season six which focuses on Reilly and Cole Hauser’s (Rip) characters could be in the works.
Entertainment industry newsletter Puck reported the last half of the fifth season will not close out Sheridan’s epic Western series, as previously believed.
The newsletter said Hauser and Reilly were in the final process of signing new contracts with the Paramount Network, either for a sixth season or a spinoff series, according to TVLine.
In March, Reilly told Radio Times there were ongoing ‘discussions’, but added: ‘Don’t believe everything you read. It’s just nonsense.’
Yellowstone’s final installment, season five, premieres November 11 only on Stan.
