Lilli Kay was a historic moment Yellowstone When she appeared in the series and shared a romantic kiss with another woman. A new member of the Yellowstone In season 5, Lily Kay first appeared in episode 2, “The Sting of Wisdom” as Clara Brewer, the new assistant to Governor John Dutton (Kevin Costner). Clara is capable and loyal, and much more professional than the family members and ranch hands John is used to working with, and Their chemistry together was one of the best additions to season 5.
While Key is only joining Yellowstone In season 5, she was connected to Taylor Sheridan’s show for much longer. Her father, Stephen Kay, is an executive producer on the series and has directed multiple episodes, including his daughter’s debut. Kay’s stepmother, Piper Perabo, was also a recurring cast member in Yellowstone Seasons 4 and 5 as Summer Higgins. Lilli Kay is a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ communityAnd she has the opportunity to center a same-sex romantic moment on the show in an important example of representation.
Lilli Kay kissed her real-life partner in Yellowstone’s first LGBTQ+ kissing scene
The producers need a scene partner who has undergone COVID testing
In season 5, episode 7, “The Dream Is Not Me”, the employees at Yellowstone Ranch take a much-needed night off and go to the Montana State Fair. While they are there, a quick scene shows Clara and an unnamed woman wearing a cowboy hat sharing a kiss while sitting together on a blanket. That was it Yellowstones first LGBTQ+ kissing sceneAnd it came about almost by accident. According to Kay, the scene was simply written as “Clara kisses someone”, but as filming took place during COVID-19, production needed to find someone who passed testing protocol.
Kay said (via Variety),
“It came about by accident. I was in Montana with my partner and we were trying to figure it out… it was just written [in the script] That I made out with someone. We went, ‘Well, what can you bring in one day that is comfortable to deal with, what is in the [COVID] Testing cycle?’ We thought about it and I said to my partner, ‘Is this something you would be comfortable with?’ Because the thought was thrown out there. And they said: Yes, of course, and that’s how it turned out.
It’s a testament to the stick on Yellowstone That they wrote Clara Kiss as gender-neutral. As the actress tells it, the writers weren’t necessarily looking for Clara to be straight or gay, they just needed someone for the scene. When Clara’s real-life girlfriend volunteered, they didn’t blink. The scene doesn’t make a big deal of a kiss. It could just as easily be a husband and wife sharing the blanket, and This is the type of normalization that is critical to LGBTQ+ representation. As Kay says,
“I remember seeing something about that where someone wrote that, a lesbian kiss just came out of nowhere.” What do you mean? It doesn’t have to come out of nowhere. It felt nice to have a lot of fanfare about how it would be received.”
Lilli Kay’s Clara fits the Yellowstone cast
Lily was nervous to play alongside Kevin Costner
Clara fit in well Yellowstone Throw, which is not always an easy thing for newcomers to do. Necessarily, the show is more focused on the Duttons and the characters with the audience since the beginning, so anyone new will always be viewed with some suspicion. Her role as John’s confidante, an intelligent and professional assistant, and a capable cowgirl in her own right, makes Clara a well-rounded addition to the cast. She is not frustrating, obnoxious, or too cool, she works in Sheridan’s world and acts like a real person.
Kay was nervous about acting with the legendary Costner when she first came on set,
“It was absolutely terrifying. I was shocked on my first day with him, because I also had no idea what he would be like. You have these people who are so massive in the history of cinema, and you’re went, ‘Okay, I have no idea what kind of person this person is and how they work, how they are in a work environment.’ He was just the kindest, most generous scene partner I could have asked for, so I got very lucky and my fear and starstruck-ness gradually melted away.”
Costner is a major figure in Hollywood history and getting into one-on-one scenes with him would be a daunting task for any actor. Kay manages to overcome the fears and their scenes together are excellent as a result. With Costner exiting the series after Season 5 Part 1, it’s unclear what Clara’s role will be, but John has shown Clara that sometimes bending the rules to get things done can be good. Perhaps Clara will take these lessons to heart and be a more formidable political force on her own in the final season of Yellowstone.