After a two-year pause, Yellowstone Season 5 is back to finish the job. After the surprising exit of Kevin Costner, fans were left wondering what would become of their beloved Western saga. Those rumors of behind-the-scenes drama ran rampant, but there never should have been any real concerns about whether the series would finish as strongly as it started. Why? Because Taylor Sheridan is at the helm.
Starting with Yellowstone back in 2018, Sheridan has become a force within the television industry. The series, which he co-created with John Linson, has become a juggernaut, launching two prequel series (1883, 1923) with multiple spinoffs on the horizon (including The Madison starring Michelle Pfeiffer). If Sheridan would stop there, his legacy would be complete. Not satisfied unless he is creating, Sheridan enjoys a successful partnership with Paramount+, which has given his additional series—Mayor Of Kingstown (co-created with Hugh Dillon), Tulsa King, Lioness and the upcoming Landman (premiering November 16)—a good home. Sheridan’s creative prowess and powerful characters have attracted stars like Jeremy Renner, Sylvester Stallone, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm and Demi Moore who are eager to work with him.
So, what’s it like to work with arguably one of the most prominent television creators of the 21st century? We spoke to a few of the actors from Yellowstone—the show that started it all—to get their take on participating in the Sheridan legacy. Gil Birmingham, who plays Broken Rock chief Thomas Rainwater, has been close with Sheridan and his family since 2016, when he starred in Hell Or High Water, for which Sheridan penned the script. “I’m amazed at the imagination and the intelligence that he writes with,” said Birmingham. While also marveling at Sheridan’s “prolific nature,” Birmingham notes that he’s remained “a down home guy” through it all. The actor opined that Sheridan’s wild success and “all those spinoffs” have been made possible by Sheridan’s wholehearted “belief in himself .” “If you have that, there’s no limit to what you can do,” Birmingham added.
Arguably a muse of Sheridan’s, Kelly Reilly calls the role of Beth Dutton “one of the most electrifying, satisfying, challenging roles I’ve ever played.” Praising his creative vision as “singular” and “uncompromising,” Reilly believes that Sheridan has “reinvigorated the storytelling of the modern Western” with the flagship series. While Reilly notes that Sheridan “can do the fights,” what she loves most is when Sheridan “writes poetry for us.” “It’s when he writes from the soul and heart that these characters really resonate,” Reilly affirmed.
As a writer, Sheridan brilliantly balances tone to reflect the depths of his characters. “You can you be in one moment that is full of fury and fire and destruction and darkness, and then all of a sudden, you’re talking about God,” continues Reilly. “I love that.” Sheridan’s delicate touches are clear, even in the series’ most bombastic moments. Sheridan’s ability to tap into the character’s “softness in this harsh world” is “his gift,” according to Reilly.
Cole Hauser, who plays Yellowstone ranch foreman Rip Wheeler, praised Sheridan’s ability to “educate, entertain and enlighten” his audience. He observed that Sheridan’s series has put a spotlight on Montana and its surrounding politics in a way that the mainstream media hasn’t seen before, saying: “He’s done a good job of explaining a lot of the history of that area.” Throughout the series, Sheridan has explored the struggles in the state through the lens of many. Everyone’s point of view—from the ranchers to the Native community to the developers—has been represented. “He’s given all these different characters the opportunity to speak,” said Hauser.
A real-life cowboy, Sheridan has long been enamored with the American West, with its harsh realities, its ideals, and its flaws. The authenticity he brings to Yellowstone is key to its success. Hauser believes Sheridan should be “proud of what we’ve accomplished over the last seven years.” With the flagship series finishing its run, who knows where Sheridan will take the story of the Duttons next. Let’s hope he can continue the family’s saga in some form amid his other projects.
