Yellowstone’s Denim Richards Recalls ‘Very Bittersweet’ Last Day on Set After Colby’s Shocking Death (Exclusive)

Yellowstone is proving that no one is safe by killing another major character ahead of the show’s series finale.

During the Sunday, December 1, episode of the hit Paramount+ drama, Yellowstone killed off Colby (Denim Richards) in a freak accident. Colby stepped in to help Carter (Finn Little) with a bucking horse but was fatally struck by the animal instead.

Richards, 36, exclusively told Us Weekly about preparing to say goodbye to his character. “We’ve been waiting a little bit of time — as well as the audience — to be able to come back. So we’re really, really excited to be here,” he shared at the season 5B premiere ahead of Sunday’s episode. “Now that everybody is here, we can really embrace what this has been.”

The actor, who has played the Dutton ranch hand since season 1, recalled his last days on set.

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“I took everything,” he joked about the show’s props. “I took my boots and I took my hat. I think I left my chaps or maybe I took them. The only thing I didn’t take was my horse. That’s because I don’t own the horse. But you know, nonetheless, this is such an epic show and you just wanna have those things, and it’s been such a major part of our lives since 2017.”

Richards called his final moments on the show “very bittersweet,” adding, “But everything good ends and so we’re happy to be able to be ending on top. But I definitely took some things that I’ll be able to store for a long time coming.”

Colby’s accident marks the third surprising death of the season. Yellowstone started the second half of season 5 by killing off patriarch John Dutton (Kevin Costner) before having Sarah Atwood (Dawn Olivieri) get assassinated just last week.

Yellowstone recently returned after a lengthy hiatus that was plagued with rumors about Costner’s status with the show. He confirmed earlier this year that he would not be returning and has since weighed in on his character’s death.

“I’m going to be perfectly honest. I didn’t know it was actually airing last night. That’s a swear-to-God moment. I’ve been seeing ads with my face all over the place and I’m thinking, ‘Gee, I’m not in that one.’ But I didn’t realize yesterday was the thing,” Costner, 69, said on SiriusXM’s The Michael Smerconish Program last month. “I heard it’s a suicide, so that doesn’t make me want to rush to go see it.”

While Costner has moved on from the Yellowstone universe, others have shown their support for more installments. There have been rumors that a sixth season — or a spinoff — could be written around Beth (Kelly Reilly) and Rip (Cole Hauser).

“I am definitely interested in Beth, and who she is after some things have happened,” Reilly, 47, told Town & Country in November. “Who is she in peace? As an actor you’re like, ‘Ooh, let me at that.’ Wouldn’t it be fun to watch Beth go to therapy?”

She continued: “I love gearing up to play her, because there’s an adrenaline to Beth and it’s very energizing. But it’s also incredibly gnarly. I have to hide all of me away to put some of that on. I love her, but I can’t live with her.”

Richards also isn’t ruling out another collaboration with Yellowstone cocreator Taylor Sheridan in the future.

“Any time that Taylor calls you, you just say yes and then you ask about what it is later. He is such a dynamic showrunner and writer. And he really trusts us and you trust the material,” he told Us. “It’s been such a long time that we’ve been doing all this together and we’ve gone through so many hills and valleys. Why wouldn’t you want to be [working] with the top showrunner in the world right now? You just say yes to that.”

Yellowstone airs on Paramount Network Sundays at 8 p.m. ET.

With reporting by Leanne Aciz Stanton