“Yellowstone” has been an ensemble drama from the start, but as the series has gone on, it has only gotten more densely populated with its growing cast of characters. However, what many viewers of the series may not realize is that one of these cowboys is portrayed by the co-creator of the neo-western himself, Taylor Sheridan.
Travis Wheatley first appeared in Season 1 of “Yellowstone” as a horse trader who does business with John Dutton, but over the course of the series, his role has expanded. Gruff, cool, rich, and talented, Travis basically has everything going for him, and some Redditors think that this could be a reflection of how Sheridan sees himself.
“Did this man seriously write a cowboy epic, only to cast himself as the ‘coolest’ cowboy on the show?” asked u/Effective-Pay-3153 on the r/YellowstonePN subreddit. “With the biggest ranch in Texas? That he in real life owns? And everyone just loves and wants to work at? And everyone wants his business model of rodeoing horses?”
Well, if the comments in the thread are any indication, this viewer isn’t alone in their incredulous reaction and criticism of the casting choice.
Taylor Sheridan also shows up in his prequel series, 1883
While you’d think the phenomenon of Taylor Sheridan playing the world’s coolest guy in his own show may be limited to “Yellowstone,” at least one other Redditor pointed out that this is not the case. “Just wait until you see 1883,” wrote u/WhiskeyCloudsBackup. “He just randomly shows up all cowboyed out and is respected and loved by everyone.”
In a world where George Clooney, Quentin Tarantino, and M. Night Shyamalan exist, Sheridan is far from the first writer-director to cast himself, but the fact that the characters he plays always appear to be tough-talking badasses who everyone thinks are amazing does ring a bit hollow. After all, the other examples mentioned above are more than happy to play morally grey or even unlikable characters in their films.
Still, not everyone has a problem with Sheridan’s choice to cast himself in “Yellowstone” and “1883.” In fact, some even related to the idea. “If I wrote and directed a show, I sure as hell won’t make myself a [wimp] lol,” wrote u/Away-Kaleidoscope380. “I think it’s just Sheridan havin’ fun and letting him live his fantasies, lol. Doesn’t bother me too much tbh and doesn’t [really] take away from the other characters.
While Travis Wheatley has yet to appear in Season 5 of “Yellowstone,” fans could still be seeing more of him when the series returns for its final episodes in late 2024.
