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Taylor Sheridan has made an impressive name for himself as a screenwriter. His work on shows such as Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, and 1883 draws in an enormous fan base, and there’s only more to come. Most fans probably know that Sheridan was an actor before his screenwriting earned him such wide acclaim. However, fans might be surprised by just how many acting credits Sheridan has.

Taylor Sheridan attends the premiere of 'Wind River' at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on July 26, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Taylor Sheridan | Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Taylor Sheridan co-created ‘Yellowstone’

Sheridan has earned impressive acclaim for his screenwriting skills. One of his earlier works, a film titled Hell or High Water, earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Sheridan went on to co-create Yellowstone with John Linson. The Paramount series follows the Dutton family as they struggle to maintain control of the largest ranch in Montana.

Sheridan also created the TV series Mayor of Kingstown, as well as a Yellowstone prequel titled 1883. However, all this success did not come overnight. “He’s had to pay a lot of dues, and a lot of things,” Yellowstone star Kevin Costner said of Sheridan in an interview with Collider. “He’s cleaned out a lot of horse stalls in Hollywood, so to speak.”

Sheridan has more acting credits than you might think

Sheridan’s early days in Hollywood began with him taking on quite a few acting roles, and the jobs weren’t always as glamorous as they might sound. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, he made guest appearances on a multitude of TV shows. These included small roles in Walker, Texas Ranger, Party of Five, The Guardian, Star Trek: Enterprise, and more, according to IMDb.

Eventually, Sheridan landed some larger roles. He played Danny Boyd in five episodes of Veronica Mars and David Hale in the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy. Despite being involved in a show as popular as SOA, Sheridan told Deadline “they were offering me what I thought was a very unfair wage.”

Producer/writer Taylor Sheridan of 'Yellowstone' speaks onstage during the Paramount Network portion of the 2018 Winter TCA on January 15, 2018 in Pasadena, California
Taylor Sheridan | Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Viacom
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Sheridan recalled a conversation between the business affairs attorney and his own attorney. According to Sheridan the business affairs attorney said of him, “That’s what he’s worth. There’s 50 of him. He is 11 on the call sheet. That’s what that guy is, and that’s all he’s ever going to be.”

After leaving SOA, Sheridan occasionally does some acting as Travis Wheatley on Yellowstone, but the circumstances are a bit different. “Now, I am happily 11 on the call sheet on Yellowstone, but I don’t think anybody wants to watch me do anything on television for an hour because the business told me they don’t,” he told Deadline.

“They told me I’m supposed to story tell behind the camera. And so, the only reason I am in front of the camera playing [the horse trainer] Travis is because I grew up on a ranch, riding horses. There’s just not another actor out there who can do those things on a horse.”

What’s next for Taylor Sheridan?

Sheridan seems content to let his acting career take a back seat. However, his career as a screenwriter is just getting started. In addition to 1883, another Yellowstone spinoff titled 6666 is currently in the works. Sheridan has also written the pilot for a new series about a mobster titled Kansas City, according to Deadline.

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