‘Sons of Anarchy’: Taylor Sheridan Dishes on His Exit, and It’s Not Pretty

Taylor Sheridan is best known today as the writer of the acclaimed Western shows Yellowstone and its prequel series 1883, but he did not start out in Hollywood as a writer. Sheridan was an actor first, playing Deputy Chief David Hale on FX’s Sons of Anarchy and Danny Boyd on The CW’s Veronica Mars. He wound up only starring in the first two seasons of Sons of Anarchy and was written out in the Season 3 premiere. The situation that led to his departure left a poor taste in his mouth, inspiring his decision to turn to directing and writing.

In a recent interview with Deadline, the Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water writer said he thought he was being offered a “very unfair wage” when it came to negotiating a contract extension. It was “less than virtually every other person on the show” and it still wasn’t enough to let him quit a second job. His attorney told the show’s business affairs attorney that there were kids on Cartoon Network that made more than what Sheridan was being offered.

“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.’ And that’s really when I quit.”

It wasn’t just the money that made Sheridan leave Sons of Anarchy. The experience helped him realize that the business saw him as easily replaceable with someone who would take a lower salary. He felt the business decided that he wasn’t going to make it big as an actor, so he turned to work behind the camera. He still occasionally appears in front of the camera as Travis Wheatley on Yellowstone.

“I decided right there that I didn’t want to be 11 on the call sheet for the rest of my life,” Sheridan told Deadline. “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. 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.”

Sheridan’s Hale character regularly appeared in Sons of Anarchy‘s first two seasons, but he was killed off in the Season 3 premiere. He later sold his script for Sicario, which was directed by Denis Villeneuve and became a surprise box office hit in 2015. In a 2018 interview with Deadline, Sheridan said he didn’t even realize he wanted to write until he quit Sons of Anarchy. At that time, he said he enjoyed working on Sons of Anarchy and said the “studio had a different idea” when it came to negotiating after Season 2.

“Everyone on the show was making twice what I’m making, the other series regulars,” he explained in 2018. “We’re not talking about the stars. And I’m on the DVD [cover] bro; only two people on it. I say, ‘Why is this all you’re offering me? It seems unfair.’ I’m told, ‘That’s all you’re worth and all you’ll ever be worth.’ I took that in. And I said, ‘OK. I guess I’ll tell my own stories.’”

Yellowstone finished its fourth season on Jan. 2, and past seasons are available to stream on Peacock. New episodes of 1883 are released on Paramount+ on Sundays. Sheridan also created Mayor of Kingstown, which is released on Paramount+ on Sundays as well.