Lilli Kay appears in season 5 of Yellowstone playing the part of Clara Brewer, John Dutton's resident right-hand woman as he begins his reign as governor of Montana. Kay and her character are already making history on the show, as she engaged in the first LGBTQ+ kiss shown on Yellowstone. The moment happened in episode 7 when her character attended the local fair. She is seen kissing someone in the background of a scene that also featured a kiss between John Dutton (Kevin Costner) and Summer Higgins (Piper Perabo). In an interview with Deadline, Kay shared exactly whom she was kissing and her surprise at fans' reaction to the 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," she explains. "My partner, Juli 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, so we're like, 'Well it's a gender fluid make out in the background.'"
Kay continues, saying she didn't think many people would even notice the moment in the background of the scene, but fans "made a very big deal about it," much to her surprise.
"It was very funny because I did not expect anyone to even really catch it. And then people were like, lesbians on the range!" she says. "It was very, very funny. But it was a fun 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!"
The actress says the filming of that scene was also somewhat awkward — not so much for her but for her father, director/EP Stephen Kay. That awkwardness not only stemmed from the fact that Kay had her own kiss but also that Perabo, who kisses Costner during the scene, is Stephen Kay's wife and Lilli's stepmom.
"My father was the director. He was really wonderful and great," she says. "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."
READ MORE: 'Yellowstone' Star Piper Perabo Calls Kevin Costner a 'Pro' At Kissing
