EXCLUSIVE | 'Yellowstone' star Wendy Moniz says Gov Perry won't be married to John but romance is on the cards
The pleasure of love lasts for a moment but the pain of love can last a lifetime. 'Yellowstone' beautifully echoes that sentiment through the tale of the Governor of Montana, Lynelle Perry. Essayed by Wendy Moniz, her character has gone through several storms ever since she stepped into John Dutton's (Kevin Costner) life. Remember how Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) felt like her relationship with her father was a threat to them?
Remember that scene where Beth told Lynelle: "I ruin careers for a living. You sleep in my mother's bed again, and I will ruin yours. Ruin it. Got it?" Post that, John and Lynelle put a stop to their relationship. Moreover, when Lynelle asked John if he thought he would ever fall in love again after the death of his wife Evelyn, he immediately gave a thumbs down to that thought and the pair reflected on how they might never get over their past experiences of love and loss.
Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Wendy has a Portuguese and Irish descent. After making a debut in 1995 in ‘Guiding Light’, the 51-year-old actress went on to star in TV shows like ‘Nash Bridges’, ‘House of Cards’, ‘Law & Order’, ‘The Guardian’ and 'Betrayal’. Spilling the beans on her character from ‘Yellowstone’, Wendy spoke to MEA WorldWide (MEAWW) in an exclusive interview and shed light on her character's relationship with John, being a powerful woman in a man's world and what fans should look forward in this season.
Excerpts:
‘Yellowstone’ has always been a lot about family drama. This season, there have been a lot of revelations that fans have predicted for years. So, could you tell us one thing that fans should look forward to in the upcoming episodes?
Well, there are a lot of things fans can look forward to... like just the drama continuing to build, which always keeps everybody invested. I think fans were really waiting to know about the big revelation around why Beth hates Jamie. I mean, Taylor [Sheridan] does such an excellent job of weaving the story out and unrolling it in a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat, asking questions, and then he delivers when the time is right. That was a big reveal and I think that people have been looking forward to finding out what is the situation with them from the get-go.
There is a lot of romance this season, whether it's with Beth and Rip, Jimmy and Mia, or in one of the episodes when Governor Perry and John enjoy a sunset together. So, what are the chances that they will end up together... and will they ever get married?
You never know with Taylor's unpredictable storytelling, but my instinct is that they will not get married. However, I think that they will remain in each other's lives. They're very connected to each other just because they've known each other for so long. And both were very much in love with their spouses who died. So they have this connection with regard to loss and they share a very unique kind of bond. When you throw in politics, they have a sort of chemistry in general. It's a complicated combination of things that they have on their plate together as a couple. But, I mean, I hope they continue to have their dance the way they've been doing it this season because it's been a lot of fun discovering that chemistry and working with Kevin in that way.
Absolutely. But fans also want John to find love and they wish the same for Governor Perry. With you saying they won't end up together, many hearts would break as fans were hoping something could happen in the future.
I'm just guessing... I don't know. This is all born from Taylor's creative juices and, and like I said, anything could happen. I'm just an actor who's reading between the lines and making the story. I only know what I know, he has the whole story in his head, but I feel like right now where they are, I don't see a marriage on the cards as I feel they've been down that road before. But that doesn't mean they can't have romance and maybe, you know, continue to have their affection for each other deepen. But again, I'm not writing it. I'm just showing up and trying to tell the story through his words.
Coming to Beth and Jamie's big twist, do you think she can ever forgive Jamie or will she ever blame John in the future?
This may be a cliché, but expect the unexpected because there's so many twists and turns. But again, I think that I think that the devotion that Beth has to John is just — paramount. No pun intended! (‘Yellowstone’ is on Paramount Network!) But yeah, I just think that's my feeling and that is what fans can expect. I think that she is a daddy's girl through and through — and not just in the sense that she's willing to do what he needs to do. But she's her father's daughter in the sense that they're very strong, equally very strong.
There's a very important character introduction this season, Roarke Morris — played by Josh Holloway. We all know that he's hellbent to get John Dutton's land. So will Governor Perry be friends with that character, or will she take the Dutton's side?
Well, I don't want to give that away at all. But she's definitely caught between a rock and a hard place. You'll see this as the season moves along, especially about where she lands. But it's a tricky spot to be in for her for sure. But she's got to pick a lane right. So we shall see.
Do you think that Governor Perry will ever go against the Duttons?
She has — in the past — and I think that it's always possible. She's obviously a very powerful person, and as the Governor, she has a strong will. I think that she's always trying to find a way to connect his [John's] family and be involved with his family in a way that's positive. But she's very careful about not letting them steamroll over her and ultimately, she wants to be on top and believes that what she thinks is right for the state of Montana. She's a powerful politician, and from that aspect, it's possible that she will butt heads with the Duttons as the story unfolds.
How has it been for you to play the character so far — to be a woman in a show that increasingly focuses on the men? Whether it's John, Jamie or Kayce... there are a lot of men with different tangents to the story. How does it feel to be a really powerful woman who is among all these men trying to balance out their rivalries? And how do you think your character brings that uniqueness to the show?
That's a great question. From an actor's point of view, it's a thrill to be playing a powerful woman in a world of men and to be able to hold your ground, stand on your own, and then to be strong. I don't think you see a lot of that on television. Hats off to Taylor because he has created a world with really strong women and even more so this season as we see a bunch of new faces. I mean, earlier it was Beth and Monica and myself, but there this year, there are several others.
We have Jennifer Landon's role as Teeter and Karen Pittman as Willa Hays. I love watching it as a fan to see all these great women's roles. And then me playing Governor Perry, I couldn't be happier about it. You know, scenes with Jamie or when I appoint Kayce as Livestock Commissioner. It's not really like a woman go to a man and asking for a favor. It's like, here's what you're going to do, and this is why you're going to do it. And that was a lot of fun. It illustrates something that is not shown enough on television There are women in these positions who are in control and powerful, and I am thrilled to be one of them.
Catch new 'Yellowstone' episodes as it airs on Paramount Network every Sunday at 9 pm ET.