It’s been over a month since the Yellowstone season 5 finale and we’re still learning tidbits from what it was like filming those final scenes. Most recently, Kelsey Asbille (Monica) sat down with Kelly Clarkson on The Kelly Clarkson Show to reflect on filming.
Something that feels particularly relevant in the wake of the tragic Los Angeles fires is the fact that, according to Kelsey, wildfires played a role in the Yellowstone filming schedule, as well.
“Our last day of shooting is something I’ll never forget because we were kind of sitting ducks with the fires, with the smoke,” Kelsey tells Kelly. “So, we were waiting for it to finally clear. It was our last day; it’s the final time you see these characters, and we’re all on horseback—even our director, Taylor Sheridan, he’s on horseback—and we’ve got a hundred cattle, and the clouds just part and the sun goes over the hill and it’s just gorgeous, really beautiful.”
As uplifting as it was to see the light after such smoky darkness, Kelsey admits that she remained terrified nonetheless—only, not solely because of the fires. “I’m so scared of horses,” she reveals. “So Taylor kept being like, ‘Monica, ride up, ride up,’ and I’d be like, ‘Nope, she’s gonna be right here; she’s gonna oversee from behind.’”
As frightened as she is of horses, Kelsey wasn’t going to let her fears deter her from the role of a lifetime. Her way of coping? Comedy. “I just start a stand-up routine on the horse because I’m so nervous,” she shares. “My first day of cowboy camp—they didn’t invite me until the very last year, with good reason because I’m just absolutely terrified—they threw me in right with all the cattle, and I’m just a mess. But we’ve got the best wranglers in the world so… I trust them.”
As much as we collectively miss Yellowstone, the good news is that the second season of 1923 is mere weeks away, so we can all look forward to more Dutton family drama in 2025 after all.