‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Was Sleeping in a Tent Before His Big Break

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan is one of the most powerful writers and directors in the world today, but at one point, he was alternating between sleeping in his car and an actual tent before he finally landed his big break.

Sheridan grew up in Texas, and his family owned a ranch where they would spend the weekends during his formative years. After his parents divorced, his mother sold that ranch, and that loss would inform his later work.

After dropping out of college, Sheridan was aimlessly working odd jobs when a talent scout approached him at a mall.

That led him to Los Angeles, where he started auditioning and landing small roles on shows including NYPD Blue and CSI, according to Fortune. But while he was starting to make a name for himself, Sheridan wasn't making any real money doing guest appearances on television, and he ended up living in his car with his dog, alternating that with actually living off the land in the way his future shows would portray.

“I was really broke, but made the choice not to quit and go home,” Sheridan told the Austin American-Statesman. “I also stayed with friends on a reservation north of L.A. They would let me go up there, and I would pitch a tent.”

Sheridan finally made his way to higher-profile role on Sons of Anarchy, but when he tried to renegotiate his contract after two seasons, he got a life-changing reality check.

“I’ve always said Hollywood will tell you what you’re supposed to be doing, if you will listen,” Sheridan told Deadline. “At that time, they were offering me what I thought was a very unfair wage. It was less than virtually every other person on the show, and not enough for me to quit my second job. So, the business affairs attorney, who I won’t name, here’s what he told my attorney who said, look, there’s kids on the Cartoon Network making more than you’re offering this guy.

“The guy goes, ‘I know, and you’re right that he probably deserves to make more, but we’re not going to pay him more because guess what, he’s not worth more,’” Sheridan recalled. “‘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.’"

Sheridan "decided right there that I didn’t want to be 11 on the call sheet for the rest of my life," he added, so he quit the show, and his character was killed off.

He turned his attention to writing scripts, and in 2015, Sheridan made his screenwriting debut with Sicario, which met with widespread acclaim. He followed it up by writing and directing Wind River, a project that features many of the same cast members and themes as Yellowstone.

That led to Yellowstone, which helped launch the Paramount Network in 2018. The show has since become a cultural phenomenon, and Sheridan has followed it up with two prequels, 1883 and 1923, as well as an upcoming sequel titled The Madison.

He also writes, directs and produces a stunning array of other projects for Paramount Network, including Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, Landman and more, making him one of the small handful of the highest-powered players in Hollywood today.

Sterling Whitaker is a Senior Writer and Senior Editor for Taste of Country. He focuses on celebrity real estate, as well as coverage of Yellowstone and related shows like 1883 and 1923. He's interviewed cast members including Cole Hauser, Kelly Reilly, Sam Elliott and Harrison Ford, and Whitaker is also known for his in-depth interviews with country legends including Don Henley, Rodney Crowell, Trace Adkins, Ronnie Milsap, Ricky Skaggs and more.