Yellowstone, with its vivid portrayal of those traversing Montana's grassy hills and deep valleys, made a grand return to the nation's TV sets on Sunday. An astonishing 16 million viewers tuned in to the latest episode, akin to a lone cowboy riding into the sunset. The show's co-creator and writer, Taylor Sheridan, seems to be living his dream.

Uncover the Success Story of Yellowstone and Taylor Sheridan

Early Life and Inspirations

Taylor Sheridan has humble beginnings compared to the entertainment industry's nepo babies. Growing up outside of Waco, Texas, he experienced a "difficult childhood" on a ranch his family visited on weekends. After his mother overleveraged the ranch and lost it post-divorce, it became a significant inspiration for his work. As he told Texas Highways, "Our family ranch has informed Yellowstone in many ways, but losing it was the biggest one." Sheridan enrolled in Texas State University but later dropped out and struggled to find his path, mowing lawns and painting houses.

Acting Career and Struggles

A talent scout discovered Sheridan at a mall, leading him to land acting gigs on shows like CSI and NYPD Blue. He moved to Los Angeles but lived in his car with his dog while trying to make ends meet. He even pitched a tent on a reservation north of L.A. as he struggled to establish himself. However, his first break came on the cusp of his 40s when he played David Hale in Sons of Anarchy. But he took a step back when he and his pregnant wife Nicole moved to Wyoming to raise their child away from the hustle and bustle of L.A.

Scriptwriting Success and Yellowstone

Nicole maxed out her credit card to help Sheridan afford Final Draft, the software for writing scripts. His critically acclaimed movies Sicario and Hell or High Water were successful, enabling him to buy a new ranch. While working on other neo-Westerns, he also worked on Yellowstone on the side. It took some time for Yellowstone to get greenlit as Sheridan insisted on having artistic control. Finally, in 2018, Paramount revived it and it gained momentum during the pandemic. Sheridan now lives on a ranch in Texas and is building more epic western dramas and other TV shows with Hollywood A-listers like Nicole Kidman.

Final Thoughts

At the end of the day, Sheridan prefers to be a real cowboy rather than write about them. As he said to Fort Worth about the joys of riding a horse, "There's nothing I'd rather do." Despite holding the reins of a multimillion-dollar empire, his love for the cowboy life remains strong.