Taylor Sheridan, the creator behind popular television series such as "Yellowstone," "Mayor of Kingstown," and "1923," has sharply criticized both professional critics and Hollywood studio executives in a recent interview. Sheridan voiced his strong disapproval of what he perceives as a lack of genuine storytelling knowledge among industry decision-makers.
During an appearance on "The Bill Simmons Podcast," Sheridan stated that he believes many studio and network executives are primarily marketing professionals or individuals with backgrounds in law, who lack a fundamental understanding of story development. "You know nothing," he asserted regarding their qualifications. "So they get terrified, panicked that the audience won’t get it because they actually have no storytellers."
Sheridan suggested that this environment leads to excessive rewrites and executive interference in the creative process. He reminisced about an earlier era in Hollywood when writers and directors were afforded more creative freedom. "It didn’t used to be this way… because writers were turned loose. Directors were turned completely loose," he recalled. "There weren’t endless rewrites. There weren’t meetings with executives about tone and mood and all this nonsense."
The acclaimed screenwriter also addressed his relationship with critics, admitting to intentionally creating content that he believes provokes them. "The critics and me — I don’t care what they think, and it annoys the s–t out of them that I don’t care," Sheridan said. "I’ll be the first to tell you that there are things that I do that rage-bait them a bit, and this is one of them. Fuck ‘em, honestly."
Sheridan's prolific career has resulted in a slate of shows featuring prominent actors such as Kevin Costner, Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, and Helen Mirren. However, his work has largely been overlooked by major awards ceremonies like the Emmys and Golden Globes, with the exception of Kevin Costner's 2023 Golden Globe win for his role in "Yellowstone." Sheridan stated that awards are not his primary objective.
"You’re not going to win no Emmys with me, but I’m not trying to win Emmys," he explained. "My goal is to sit somebody on their couch and move them, make them think, make them laugh, scare the shit out of them, excite them. That’s what I want to do, because that’s what I want from a show."
Despite his success in Hollywood, Sheridan, who currently resides on a ranch in Texas, also declared that he has no intention of returning to Los Angeles. "The only way you’re getting me back to Los Angeles is if it secedes from the union and I’m drafted into the Army to take it back," he quipped, contrasting it with his fondness for New York City, which he described as "way, way stronger than whatever political wind is blowing it in any direction."