While sharing some details about her time on the Yellowstone set, Clara Brewer actress Lilli Kay revealed how the show’s first lesbian kiss came to be.
As she spoke to Deadline in a recent interview, Yellowstone actress Lilli Kay discussed the big kissing scene. “We were in our COVID protocol. It was written that Clara is making out with someone in the background behind John and Summer. And we were trying to figure out who was easy and comfortable [to cast] who was also in the testing cycle.”
Lilli Kay then praised fellow Yellowstone castmate Juli Kocemba. “[Kocemba] was there with me in Montana so they said, ‘Oh, let’s just have you guys make out in the background.’ My partner’s non-binary, [they] were like, ‘Well, it’s a gender-fluid makeout in the background.’ We thought nobody’s gonna make a big deal about it. And then a lot of people made a very big deal about it.”
Lilli Kay admitted that she didn’t expect anyone to notice the Yellowstone lesbian kissing scene. “And then people were like, lesbians on the range! It was very, very funny,” she declared. “But it was a gun little evening. We got to listen to some really good music and hang out and quietly make out in the background. Lesbians on the ranch!”
In regards to who made the ultimate call to have Kocemba in the Yellowstone scene with her, Lilli Kay added, “I’m not really sure. My father was the director. He was really wonderful and great. It was also the most awkward day for him at work, directing his wife kissing Kevin Costner and his daughter making out with her partner.”
Lilli Kay Talks About Her Experience With Cattle on the ‘Yellowstone’ Set
Along with discussing her time on the Yellowstone set, Lilli Kay spoke about being out and about moving cattle and riding one.
“We got really lucky,” Lilli Kay said about the Yellowstone scene. “It was beautiful out and we were using a field that’s behind the ranch. So we were coming down with these cows and trying to push them up, but then every time we’d have to move them back down as soon as they’d call cut. It was basically double your shooting time.”
However, Lilli Kay said the experience was fun because everybody on the Yellowstone crew knows what they’re doing. “As actors we very seldom have skills that are helpful to other departments. It’s nice to be able to help the wranglers and get these cows moving. Everybody’s getting their hands dirty.”
Lilli Kay then added that she loves the cows and thinks they’re cute. “ Some of them were really chill, but they’re not super socialized because they’re out in these big open spaces, which is how cows should live all day. But it made me sad ’cause I wanted to snuggle them. We had the little calves for the branding scenes. There was one that I wanted to take home.”
‘Yellowstone’s Lilli Kay Has a Big Family Connection to the Show
Filming Yellowstone is an all-out family affair for Lilli Kay. The actress recently shared that both her father and stepmother are a part of the show. And because she had the pleasure of visiting them on set, she had the pleasure of landing the role of Clara Brewer.
Kay’s father, Steven Kay, is one of the show’s primary directors and executive producers. Since 2019, he’s helmed 15 episodes and produced 27. And his wife happens to be Piper Perabo, who joined the cast as Summer Higgins in 2021.
In an exclusive interview with Deadline, Kay shared that because of her ties, she’d “sort of been on the edges” of Yellowstone. And getting some face time with creator Taylor Sheridan made everything fall into place and helped her become an official star.
“My dad would brag to me about how he was spending every single day with horses and amazing actors,” she remembered. “I was like, ‘hey, I’m a horse person! I want to come hang out!’”
Lilli Kay Was in Tears Over the Opportunity to Work Alongside Her Father
So hang out she did. And the experienced cowgirl earned plenty of respect from Sheridan and the rest of the cast and crew, many of who had never even mounted a horse until going through Sheridan’s famous boot camp. Kay describes herself as a “horse kid” and shared that she even worked on a ranch in LA.
Eventually, the part of Clara opened, and Sheridan thought she was a good fit. So she kind of fell right into everything.
“Taylor Sheridan had seen my work,” she continued. “I had known him for a while. And he knew that I could ride, so he threw me in the mix.”
Now that Lilli Kay has a role in the massive hit series, she’s loving the experience. And not just because she gets to work with the iconic creator and actors. She’s also appreciating the opportunity to spend more time with her family. Kay admitted that starring in Yellowstone was actually a “very sneaky move” she made to finally have to opportunity to work alongside her dad.
“I’ve not been able to do jobs with my dad,” she continued. “It was literally a dream come true. The number of days that I like came home from work crying over how amazing it was to hang out with both dad and Piper at work … I was like, ‘oh my God, this is my dream.’ It was so lame of me, but also so much fun.
Lilli Kay Admitted She Was Nervous At First When First Acting on Set With Kelly Reilly on ‘Yellowstone’
Meanwhile, Lilli Kay discussed how her Yellowstone character gets along with the infamous Beth Dutton.
“I was really nervous at first because I love Kelly Reilly so much,” Lilli Kay admitted. “And it’s so fun acting with her because you never know how Beth is gonna respond to something. At first, there wasn’t closeness, but Beth was pretty relaxed around Clara, which I was really happy about.”
Lilli Kay then said her Yellowstone character has become more “entrenched” in the Dutton family’s life. “Beth just got used to having her around,” Kay noted.
In regards to her involvement with the rest of Yellowstone season 5, Lilli Kay added she’s pretty curious. “I’m curious to know because this first part has come to a close,” she said. “And I haven’t seen any scripts past this point, so I’m just operating off of what I know.”