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Screenwriter and director Taylor Sheridan is a unique force in the TV and film world. An artist who has constantly broken the rules of storytelling, he is known for his uncompromising vision and hands-on style of working. He is known for writing films likeSicario, Wind River,andHell or High Water, all of which have been critically acclaimed.
He is probably best known for the neo-Western TV seriesYellowstoneand its prequels1883and1923. The show is gearing up for its fifth and final season, the second part of which is set to air later this year. The writer recently spoke about how his life ended up imitating the show’s premise, leading him to secure over $350 million in two weeks.
Also read:Yellowstone Director and Real Life Cowboy Taylor Sheridan Earned Awfully Low Wage for His First Job in a Cattle Ranch
Taylor Sheridan’s Journey From Acting To Writing
BeforeTaylor Sheridanmade it big as a screenwriter and creator of hit TV shows and films, he was an actor. Sheridan had a recurring role in the crime dramaSons Of Anarchyand was also in a few episodes ofVeronica Mars. However, he decided to pursue screenwriting as a career and sold his first screenplaySicario.
Sicariowas directed byDunedirector Dennis Villeneuve and starred Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, Benicio Del Toro, and Daniel Kaluuya. The film dealt with border tensions between USA and Mexico. It was lauded upon release, with particular appreciation for Taylor Sheridan’s masterful screenwriting.
The writer then came to be known for the TV showYellowstone, which starred Kevin Costner as an aging ranch owner who has to fight to keep his ranch from falling into the wrong hands. The show received record viewership for the Paramount Network and even got two prequel miniseries centered on the ranch. Sheridan also co-created shows such as Jeremey Runner starrerMayor of Kingstown, the Sylvester Stallone starrerTulsa King, and the Morgan Freeman starrerSpecial Ops:Lioness.
Also read:What Is Taylor Sheridan’s Net Worth – Yellowstone Creator Who Revolutionized Neo-Western Genre
Taylor Sheridan’s Controversial Style Of Working
Taylor Sheridan is known for his uncompromising style of working. He works alone, disregarding the long-standing process of a writer’s room in TV shows. He has had over 60 writing credits onYellowstone, which is a huge number for the writer who also acts as the showrunner.
His penchant for not using multiple collaborators in the writer’s room is deemed controversial as the Writer’s Guild of America strikes with demands for a mandatory minimum group of writers for scripted television. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the writer talks about his often criticized process,
“My stories have a very simple plot that is driven by the characters as opposed to characters driven by a plot — the antithesis of the way television is normally modeled…when you hire a room that may not be motivated by those same qualities — and a writer always wants to take ownership of something they’re writing — and I give this directive and they’re not feeling it, then they’re going to come up with their own qualities.”
Sheridan has also mentioned that he primarily likes to take care of his ranch, the Four Sixes ranch which appears in the show. He has revealed that his scripted shows are a way to manage his ranch. In fact,Yellowstonegot its prequel series1883and1923so he could buy the 270,000-acre Four Sixes from its original owner.
Also read:“I’m still learning”: After Kevin Costner, Another ‘Yellowstone’ Star Reveals Disagreements With Taylor Sheridan as Show Creator Refuses to Collaborate
Taylor Sheridan approached the owners of the family-run Four Sixes ranch to be featured in the show. After her death, fearing that the ranch would be split up (much like the premise ofYellowstone), the estate called up Sheridan to ask if he was interested in buying it. He said,
“I said, ‘How much?’ They said, ‘It’s $350 million.’ And I’m like, ‘I’m about 330 short. But please, you thought enough to call me, will you give me two weeks?’…“I was real rich for 45 minutes. Then I was broke again. That was the trade.”
Taylor Sheridan arranged for the funds after renewing his contract with Paramount Network to produce more shows. While he planned on taking on a supervisor role, he still decided to take on the bulk of the work after the writer’s room did not work out for him.
Source:The Hollywood Reporter
Also read:“They don’t read scripts”: Harrison Ford’s ‘Yellowstone’ Spin-Off Happened After Paramount Was Furious With Taylor Sheridan For Violently Ending ‘1883’
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2415
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
