A surprising comment from Ed Harris has put the spotlight on ‘Dutton Ranch‘. The Oscar-nominated actor revealed that he felt disappointed with how his role turned out after joining the ‘Yellowstone‘ spinoff.
Harris even admitted there was a point during filming when he wanted to leave the show because he believed the role he had signed up for was not the one he actually received.
Ed Harris Says He Was Promised A Bigger Role
Harris shared his frustrations while speaking to Variety’s Marc Malkin at the premiere of Apple TV’s The Dink on Monday night. According to the actor, conversations before he signed the contract made him believe he would be one of the central faces of Dutton Ranch.
But once production got underway, he realized things had turned out very differently.
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“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 said. “And that wasn’t really the case.”
Halfway through filming the first season, Harris said he had reached his limit. He revealed that he told his representatives, “get me the fuck out of here,” because he felt his character had become far less important than expected.
Paramount, series creator Taylor Sheridan and 101 Studios did not immediately respond to Variety’s request for comment.
Why The Actor Felt Underused On The Set Of ‘Dutton Ranch’
Although Harris did not mention Sheridan by name, he explained that he raised his concerns during production. “I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential,’ and they kind of went, ‘Oh,’” Harris added. “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.”
Harris also admitted that watching the finished episodes changed his perspective to some extent. He said ‘Dutton Ranch‘ turned out to be “pretty good,” and he felt Everett McKinney was “relatively important to the story.” Even so, the filming experience never gave him that impression, leaving him disappointed while the cameras were rolling.
Harris plays Everett McKinney, a friendly veterinarian, in the series and remains signed on for two seasons. Even though he revealed how unhappy he felt during production, it remains unclear whether he is actively trying to leave the show before his contract ends.
In case you missed it: “I Don’t Care What They Think”: Taylor Sheridan Shuts Down ‘Yellowstone’ Critics With Blunt Response
A Deleted Scene Nearly Made Him Quit
Another moment that frustrated Harris involved a musical scene that never made it into the final cut. He recalled filming a sequence where Everett sings in a bar after chatting with Beth Dutton. According to Harris, Rip Wheeler tells Everett, “OK, Everett, come on, it’s your turn,” before he walks toward the microphone.
“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, ‘Fuck you, people.’”
The production reportedly explained that the performance was removed because it was “too ‘up’ for the dark ending of that episode.” Harris did not agree with that decision.
Looking back, he admitted the cut left him so upset that he felt it was “enough reason to say I’m voiding my contract.” Even though he stayed on the series, his first season was far from the experience he expected.
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