How Yellowstone Creator Taylor Sheridan Really Felt About Working With Sam Elliott On 1883

I'm one of those unlucky film lovers who've only become familiar with Sam Elliott's work as an actor well into their adulthood. For some inexplicable reason, I missed Rowdy Herrington's cult classic "Road House" growing up, George P. Cosmatos' beloved Western, "Tombstone," and I was too young and clueless to truly appreciate his brief performance in the Coen brothers' "The Big Lebowski." But I'm happy to report that I'm all caught up with those gems now, which, unsurprisingly, makes me a big Elliott fan.

However, one of the precipitating reasons for that is Taylor Sheridan's epic Western miniseries, "1883," which I consider the absolute pinnacle of his work as a TV writer/creator. It's one of those Westerns that smartly utilizes technological advancements and modern storytelling devices to tell a historical and old-fashioned tale. But without Sam Elliott's Shea Brennan (alongside the rest of that stellar cast), a former Union Army captain, grieving father, and husband, the period drama wouldn't have been half as potent and striking as it turned out to be. In his 70s, the actor gave it his all, and his dedication and relentless hard work have been felt in every moment that he spent on the screen. And Taylor Sheridan is more than happy to work with him. 

Whether you watch Sam Elliott in those '80s and '90s classics, 2003's widely misunderstood comic book movie "Hulk," or the more recent megahit of Bradley Cooper's "A Star is Born," you can't argue that his profoundly alluring voice lends him an otherworldly charisma that instantly demands your attention. And he wields it with an utter confidence that makes you eat up his every word, regardless of whether he actually speaks thought-provoking wisdom or babbles some total nonsense. In a recent conversation with TV veteran Peter Berg for Gold Derby, Sheridan talked about why he adores and values Elliott's work immensely. He said:

"Sam Elliott has this effortless ability to stress the perfect syllable, to impact the meaning of a sentence and completely fill it with emotion. I was just with him on set two hours ago. It's so great to be back with him. I've been blessed to work with some phenomenal actors, and I've had some wonderful experiences. But you know I dragged Sam through a very similar hell that we just went through in '1883.' We were in 108-degree heat dressed in wool and then we were in minus-6 in the same wool. It was a state of misery. For Sam to take that abuse and embrace it, and really feel like he was doing something special."

Although Sheridan and Elliott haven't worked together since the miniseries (sadly), that's about to change because the actor has been cast as a series regular in the upcoming season 2 of Paramount+'s latest hit, "Landman," according to The Wrap. Not that the show is in desperate need of another big talent — considering that Billy Bob Thornton and his co-stars (Jon Hamm, Demi Moore, and Ali Larter among others) hit it out of the park in the freshman season — but if you're a fan of Sheridan's shows, Thornton, and Elliott, that news pretty much sounds like a match made in heaven. It isn't yet known what kind of character Elliott will portray, but I'm beyond excited to find out how he'll fit into the oil drama's universe. If Sheridan's love for the actor is any indication, we'll surely get another memorable and ballsy guy like Shea Brennan was in "1883."