Yellowstone viewers were first introduced to the character Clara Brewer on season 5 of the Paramount Network's Western drama. Brewer serves as John Dutton's trusty assistant in his new role as Montana governor, and she is played by actress Lilli Kay. The actress and her character may be new to Yellowstone viewers, but Kay is certainly no stranger to the show. She has family ties that connected her to the series long before she made her debut.
Kay's father, Stephen Kay, is a director and executive producer on the show; and Piper Perabo, who plays Dutton's latest love interest Summer Higgins, is her stepmom (Stephen Kay's wife). These connections, and the fact that show creator Taylor Sheridan was impressed by her performances, helped Kay score a spot on the popular series.
"Well, it's a very weird thing. I've sort of been on the edges of it," she said in an interview with Deadline. "Lucky for me, I was a fan and already had family who was working on the show. I had heard such amazing things from them. And then a part came along that I might be right for. Taylor Sheridan had seen my work. I had known him for a while and he knew that I could ride, so he threw me in the mix. My dad directs a lot of the show and EPs the show, which was a very sneaky move that I made. I've not been able to do jobs with my dad."
As for how she feels about securing the role of Clara, Kay says it's a "dream come true" — not only because she gets to work with her dad and stepmom, but also because the show allows her to bring her passion for horses to work with her.
"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,'" she says. "It was so lame of me, but also so much fun. I grew up in LA but I worked on a ranch when I was in high school. I was a horse kid my entire life."
Although Kay enjoys working with her father, it has come with a small dose of awkwardness. In episode 7 of the season, Kay shares a kiss with another character (whom she has since revealed was played by her real-life partner) in the background of another scene in which Dutton (Kevin Costner) and Summer (Perabo) also kiss. This moment, she says, created a slightly uncomfortable moment for her father, who directed the episode.
"He was really wonderful and great," she says of her father. "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."
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