While being a down-on-his-luck actor back in the day, Taylor Sheridan rose the ranks and slowly started building his own empire at Paramount. Now, he has become a big TV mogul with A-list stars wanting to work with him in the various shows that he has created/ is creating for the network. Stars like Kevin Costner, Sylvester Stallone, and Harrison Ford have worked in Sheridan’s hit shows.
Sheridan started writing for films before his huge success with Yellowstone, beginning with Sicario and Hell or High Water. The latter would start his long-standing relationship with actor Gil Birmingham who most famously plays Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone. Sheridan had already reserved Birmingham’s Yellowstone role since 2016.
Taylor Sheridan Wrote Yellowstone‘s Thomas Rainwater Specifically for Gil Birmingham
Taylor Sheridan has a knack for selecting the right actors for his shows and Yellowstone is no exception. Sheridan knew what he was doing when he cast Kevin Costner as John Dutton. The actor knows and understands the nuances of the Western genre and that makes him the perfect lead of the show.
One of the actors that Sheridan brought back from the films that he wrote before the show is Gil Birmingham (who plays Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone). The actor first worked with Sheridan in the 2016 crime drama Hell or High Water. The TV mogul had a great working experience with Birmingham and he brought him on for his first hit show.
In an appearance on the Yellowstoners podcast, Birmingham revealed that Sheridan approached him for Yellowstone in 2016. The actor revealed that Sheridan had specifically written a role for him in the show. Birmingham was already a fan of his writing and gave him his seal of approval. The Yellowstone star said,
[Taylor] mentioned ‘Yellowstone’ back in 2016 when we were filming ‘Hell or High Water’. And he said, ‘I’ve got this television show that I’ve written, and I’ve written a part for you.’ And at that point, I just thought he was an incredible writer, and I said, ‘I’m spoiled with your writing — if you’ve got a series and you want me in it, I’m there.’
Sheridan would work with Birmingham yet again before Yellowstone in 2017’s Wind River, ranking him among the top of Sheridan’s most reliable actors. Not even Costner gets this opportunity with Sheridan and is great to see Birmingham having a recurring presence in Sheridan’s various projects.
Jon Hamm Is Super Confident About Taylor Sheridan’s Upcoming Series Landman
Among the various shows that Taylor Sheridan is creating for Paramount+, Landman stands out due to its excellent cast and unique plot. Sheridan is moving away from the Western genre and is focusing on the world of oil rigs and minerals with Landman. In an interview with People, Jon Hamm who is starring in the series, teased what to expect from the show.
Hamm stated that the show is set in Texas, where there’s abundant oil and people are trying to extract it. The actor praised Sheridan’s incredible writing and the well-researched story. Hamm is confident that people will enjoy watching the show due to the intriguing narrative. He said,
It’s more in the world of oil. It’s based on oil speculators and what they called landmen, which are the guys that run around and try to acquire mineral rights and land rights in the hope of speculating and finding oil. It’s Taylor Sheridan and obviously, it’s very well written. It’s very well-researched. It’s a story very well told. People are going to enjoy it.
The series will also star Billy Bob Thornton, Demi Moore, Ali Larter, James Jordan, Paulina Chavez, and Andy Garcia. Landman is expected to premiere on Paramount+ sometime in 2024. Even before its premiere, Moore has confirmed that a second season is in the works (via Deadline) with production starting in early 2025.
Fans can watch Yellowstone on Paramount+.
