Luke Grimes has spent years bringing Kayce Dutton to life, first in Yellowstone and now in its spinoff Marshals. But despite his long-running connection to the character, the actor has no plans to regularly watch his own performances, explaining that doing so could interfere with the creative process he has developed over the years.

“I don’t enjoy watching myself,” Grimes, 42, tells PEOPLE in an exclusive interview from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where he and his Marshals castmates celebrated the show’s second-season premiere during the Raiders–Kansas City Chiefs game.

The actor admits that revisiting his performances does not necessarily help him improve his work. In fact, he believes watching himself on screen could have the opposite effect.

“I don’t know that it’s very helpful for me to watch myself. In fact, I think it, it might actually hurt my process a little bit,” he says.

Luke Grimes Has Developed His Own Approach to Playing Kayce Dutton

Although Grimes does not identify himself as a method actor, he emphasizes that he has developed a personal approach to preparing for each role.

“I wouldn’t say I’m a method actor — whatever that term means these days,” he explains. “I have a method, and that method can change from job to job. Sometimes I find things necessary to find a character, and that same thing might not work on the next job.”

For Kayce Dutton, however, the process has become increasingly familiar. Grimes has played the character since Yellowstone premiered in 2018, giving him years to understand Kayce’s personality, motivations and emotional complexities.

“I’ve got a very specific way that I have approached playing Kayce,” he says. “I’ve been doing it so long now that it takes a little less work to get there at this point.”

Rather than relying on watching his own scenes, Grimes appears content to trust the approach he has refined throughout his time in the franchise.

Marshals Season 2 Brings New Challenges

The actor is now leading Marshals, which follows Kayce and his son, Tate, played by Brecken Merrill, as they navigate life after the death of Monica, portrayed by Kelsey Asbille.

Kayce returns to his military roots and joins a team of U.S. Marshals alongside a former Navy SEAL teammate, played by Logan Marshall-Green. The series combines personal drama with dangerous investigations, presenting a new chapter for the character following the events of Yellowstone.

Grimes was encouraged by the audience’s response to the first season, although the experience also gave him a clearer understanding of the demands of the spinoff.

“I was thrilled that people showed up for it and did seem to like it,” he says.

Heading into season 2, he knew more about what to expect and how much preparation the production would require.

“After doing season one, I realized how hard Marshals is,” Grimes says. “I just made sure I was ready for it and had all my ducks in a row to do 20 episodes this year.”

The workload is substantial, but the actor says his enthusiasm for the show and its characters has helped him embrace the challenge.

“I knew it was gonna be a tough, long run, but we all love doing the show and we all love these characters and it’s such a great group of people who are making the show, so I’m very lucky,” he adds.

The Cast Keeps Things Light Behind the Scenes

Despite the series’ dark subject matter, Grimes says the atmosphere among the cast and crew is more playful than viewers might expect.

The show features criminals, intense investigations and dramatic storylines, while its preparation has included demanding physical work. Costar Arielle Kebbel previously told PEOPLE that the cast underwent extensive weapons training before filming the first season.

Still, Grimes says the challenging material does not define the team’s off-camera relationships.

“The energy’s actually a lot more playful than I think people would realize,” he explains. “A lot of the subject matter is pretty dark and a lot of criminals and drama, but the group of people that make the show are really fun and we like to have a good time. So that makes the day go by a little easier.”

For Grimes, that supportive environment appears to be an important part of sustaining the demanding production schedule while continuing to inhabit a character he has played for nearly a decade.

When to Watch Marshals

New episodes of Marshals air Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

While viewers can follow Kayce Dutton’s latest chapter each week, Grimes is unlikely to be watching alongside them. For the actor, protecting the process that has helped him shape the character remains more important than seeing his own performance on screen.

Source: Compiled from various sources