In the early to mid-2000s, American actor Taylor Sheridan was a rage among audiences after being part of two very successful television series. In 2004, Sheridan starred in the FX original show Sons of Anarchy while also becoming popular for his character Danny Boyd in the high school mystery series Veronica Mars. The star though, achieved cult status after taking to the written word and earned great success as a writer in several films like Sicario and the Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water.
Sheridan’s crowning glory as a writer and creator came with the 2018 series Yellowstone, starring Kevin Costner in the lead. The show, which was the former actor’s brainchild, follows the conflicts that take place along the shared borders of the Yellowstone Ranch. While Kevin Costner’s performance was also lauded, the veteran actor almost did not get cast for the role.
Taylor Sheridan Almost Cast Robert Redford For Yellowstone
Yellowstone, the popular television series created by Taylor Sheridan, is now in its 5th and final season, with Part 2 due to premiere in November 2023. The show which endeared itself gradually to audiences, picked up over seasons to become a successful series thanks to Sheridan’s writing and Kevin Costner’s performance. While the original production house HBO and the creator agreed that a big star was needed to play the protagonist, Sheridan’s first choice, Kevin Costner, was rejected by a few decision-makers.
Following this, Taylor Sheridan went to Robert Redford in an attempt to get him for the part and even confirmed his presence in the series before realizing that he had made a huge faux pas owing to a miscommunication between him and HBO. Recalling the incident, the Veronica Mars actor said,
“I drive to Sundance and spend the day with him(Redford) and he agrees to play John Dutton. I call the senior vice president in charge of production and say, ‘I got him!’ ‘You got who?’ ‘Robert Redford.’ ‘What?!‘ ‘You said if I got Robert Redford, you’d greenlight the show.’ And he says — and you can’t make this s**t up — ‘We meant a Robert Redford type.’ ”
Ultimately, when the miscommunication was cleared, HBO backed out which then allowed Sheridan to go with Kevin Costner for the role of John Dutton. This move proved to be the right one for the show which went on to become a success.
What Went Wrong With Taylor Sheridan and HBO?
Taylor Sheridan’s popular neo-western drama Yellowstone had a successful premiere on the Paramount Network with a 5th and final season underway. Sheridan though, originally pitched the script to HBO. A few key decision-makers at the production house were not keen on taking up the script and producing it as they were unconvinced about the milieu and scope of the narrative, which was centered in rural America
‘Look, it just feels so Middle America. We’re HBO, we’re avant-garde, we’re trendsetters. This feels like a step backward. And frankly, I’ve got to be honest, I don’t think anyone should be living out there [in rural Montana]. It should be a park or something.’
The Sons of Anarchy actor subsequently went on to strike a deal with Paramount Network and the rest, as they say, was history. Sheridan’s success ensured that he received a call from HBO congratulating him on the success of the show along with an offer to write a family drama.