Yellowstone’s Luke Grimes Says John Dutton’s Death Was ‘Always the Plan’ (Exclusive)

The Tragic Fate of John Dutton i Yellowstone was predestined, according to star Luke Grimes.

In an exclusive interview with his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville for his self-titled 2024 album, Grimes, 40, told PEOPLE that it was always the plan for the Dutton patriarch (played by Kevin Costner) to “walk away.”

“There’s been some negative reaction,” Grimes says of fan response to the show’s Nov. 10 return, which featured Costner’s character found dead from a fatal gunshot wound in the final minutes.

“I think they feel a little cheated. And what I would say to that is I think we were all lucky to have Kevin on the show as long as we did,” he continues. “It was always the plan for him to go away in order for the story to really rise, and that was the story. You lose a patriarch of the family. Can the kids handle it themselves?”

He compares John’s death to greats like King Lear, The Godfather and Succession.

“I think he was originally supposed to die a lot earlier. So in a way they got a lot more of John Dutton than they originally wanted to,” says Grimes. “I’d keep that in mind.”

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The True blood alum notes that the shock value of the character’s death adds to the drama series’ authenticity. “If it happened in such a shocking, quick way, that’s how life works, right? I mean, when you lose people, sometimes it’s not the way you planned and not when you think it’s going to be ,” he explains.

Grimes plays Kaycee Dutton – John’s youngest son – in Yellowstonewhich follows the Dutton family and the conflicts they face while maintaining the legacy of their ranching empire.

Costner, 69, portrayed the patriarch for five seasons from 2018 to the Nov. 10 episode. He chose to leave the hit show before its intended end, telling PEOPLE in a June interview that “the scripts weren’t there.”

Like the finale Yellowstone episodes airing, Grimes is also busy promoting her debut album.

Ahead of performing at the famed Grand Ole Opry for the first time, he tells PEOPLE that “music has always been a big thing” in his life. “I think everybody who grows up in church sees live music two or three times a week,” he says.

The actor adds that his parents enjoyed country music, and it was “really big in our household.”

“It was always really important. It was always a big, big thing. And I never really thought it would be something I tried to do professionally,” says Grimes. “I can’t believe I’m trying to do it professionally, to be honest. It still doesn’t feel right to me.”

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Yellowstone aired Sunday at 8 PM ET/PT on the Paramount Network.