Actor Ed Harris has voiced significant frustration over his role in the "Yellowstone" spinoff "Dutton Ranch," alleging he was misled about the importance of his character during initial discussions. Harris, 75, stated that he was led to believe he would be one of the four main characters when he signed on for the series.
"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. And that wasn’t really the case," Harris told Variety at the premiere of Apple TV's "The Dink." His character, Everett McKinney, is described as a veterinarian.
Harris, who is reportedly signed for two seasons of "Dutton Ranch," expressed that he felt "underused and inconsequential." He added that he has been told his character will have a larger role in the second season, but admitted to being "just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth."
One specific incident that "really pissed him off," according to Harris, involved a scene he filmed at a bar where he sang a song, only for the scene to be ultimately cut from the show. Production reportedly explained the cut by stating the moment was "too 'up' for the dark ending of that episode." Harris recalled thinking at the time that this was "enough reason to say I am voiding my contract."
"Dutton Ranch," which launched on Paramount+ on May 15, follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they establish their own ranch in South Texas. The series also features Annette Bening, Finn Little, Juan Pablo Raba, Jai Courtney, J.R. Villarreal, Marc Menchaca, and Natalie Alyn Lind.
This situation echoes past controversies within the "Yellowstone" universe. Lead actor Kevin Costner departed the original "Yellowstone" series in 2024 under contentious circumstances. Costner's character, John Dutton, was killed off early in the premiere of "Yellowstone's" fifth season part two. Reports at the time suggested Costner's exit stemmed from scheduling conflicts with his Western film franchise "Horizon," while Paramount claimed Costner refused to shoot more episodes. Costner, however, asserted that disputes over scriptwriting and contract amendments contributed to his departure, stating, "There was no script. And then things imploded."