Ed Harris, a star in the Paramount+ series "Dutton Ranch," revealed he experienced significant frustration during the show's first season, leading him to consider leaving the production. Harris stated he felt "underused and inconsequential" and that his role was not as substantial as initially described to him before signing on.
"Prior to signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was, and what my character was going to do — and that I was one of the four main characters," Harris told Variety. "And that wasn't really the case."
The actor, who portrays veterinarian Everett McKinney in the "Yellowstone" spinoff, said he felt "misled" about the importance of his character. He communicated his concerns to the production, though he did not name show creator Taylor Sheridan directly.
By the middle of filming, Harris said he reached his breaking point. "I said, 'I'm feeling underused and inconsequential,' and they kind of went, 'Oh,'" Harris recounted. "I'm being told my character will have a little bit more to do [in Season 2]. I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth."
Despite his initial dissatisfaction, Harris acknowledged that his perspective shifted after viewing the completed first season. He described "Dutton Ranch" as "pretty good" and felt his character, Everett, ultimately became "relatively important to the story." However, he maintained that this was not how he perceived his situation while filming.
A particular point of contention for Harris was a musical scene that was ultimately cut from the final edit. Harris explained that he filmed a sequence where Everett is invited to sing in a bar, only for the scene to be removed. "So, there's this scene in there … I'm talking to [Beth Dutton] at the bar, and [Rip Wheeler] comes in and says, 'OK, Everett, come on, it's your turn,'" Harris said. "I walk up to the mic, and they cut it… They cut the song out. I'm going, 'F--- you, people.'"
Producers reportedly told Harris the musical number was omitted because it was "too 'up' for the dark ending of that episode." Harris stated that this decision was "enough reason to say I'm voiding my contract."
Despite these strong reactions, Harris remains contracted for two seasons of "Dutton Ranch." The series, which debuted on Paramount+ in May, follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as they relocate from Montana to South Texas to establish a ranch. The ensemble cast also includes Annette Bening, Finn Little, and Juan Pablo Raba, among others. Paramount and Taylor Sheridan have been contacted for comment.