Taylor Sheridan isn’t exactly known for going easy on his actors, but when it comes to Sam Elliott, the 1883 creator admits there’s something special about dragging the cowboy icon through hell. In a candid sit-down conversation with longtime friend and fellow Western storyteller Peter Berg (American Primeval), Sheridan revealed he’s already working with Elliott again — this time, on the set of Landman, his latest Paramount+ series starring Billy Bob Thornton. And according to Sheridan, the reunion’s been nothing short of fantastic.
“Sam Elliott has this effortless ability to stress the perfect syllable, to impact the meaning of a sentence and completely fill it with emotion, effortlessly. I was just with him on set two hours ago. It’s so great to be back with him.”
That emotional precision made Elliott the heart and soul of 1883, Sheridan’s first Yellowstone prequel series. And while fans knew the Emmy-nominated actor left everything on the trail as Shea Brennan, few knew when he would next be appearing in a Sheridan project again.
Sheridan didn’t confirm Elliott’s exact role in Landman, which is set in the West Texas oil boom and described as a modern-day story of fortune and betrayal, but his excitement about being “back with him” says plenty.
Why Does Taylor Sheridan Love Sam Elliott?
While discussing the realities of filming a Western the hard way — no sound stages, no cheats, just grit — Sheridan didn’t hold back on what he and Elliott endured while shooting 1883.
“We were in 108-degree heat dressed in wool and then we were in minus-6 in the same wool,” Sheridan recalled. “It was a state of misery. For Sam to take that abuse and embrace it, and really feel like he was doing something special…”
Sheridan loves doing things with authenticity — even if he spun a colorful turn of phrase like describing Yellowstone as “horse porn at sunset” — but that’s what made the Yellowstone universe so popular and powerful in the modern TV sphere. However, what elevates his work is the raw, emotionally layered characters like Elliott’s Shea Brennan. And whether it’s featuring Elliott in a major role or just in a cameo appearance, fans of 1883 will no doubt be glad to see the mustached legend back in Sheridan’s world.
