Taylor Sheridan's Absence From The Dutton Ranch Set Ripped Up The 'Normality' For Cole Hauser

"Dutton Ranch" came with a number of necessary changes for longtime "Yellowstone" star Cole Hauser, but the fact that the show's co-creator Taylor Sheridan didn't have as much of a presence on the spinoff really threw him for a loop — especially early on. Even so, the actor relished the opportunity, and was ultimately proud of how everything turned out. We won't get into all the behind-the-scenes drama on "Dutton Ranch" here. While discussing Sheridan's absence with Film Inside, Hauser himself specifically noted that he tried to ignore all of the "outside noise." And yet, he did acknowledge, "There [were] challenges, you know? Not having Taylor there [...] everything had changed." 

The "Yellowstone" star admitted there was very little "normality," and other than Kelly Reilly, Finn Little, and longtime director and producer Christina Voros, the experience was relatively new. Of course, working with new people wasn't all bad, and Hauser was glad to have been pushed creatively too. "I enjoy a challenge [...] It was about putting my head down and working my a** off with what I had around me, the writers that we had, the new writers that we had, that we had to figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story," he explained. As Hauser concluded, "I'm proud of what we accomplished," while confirming he was excited for the next season of the hit spinoff.

Cole Hauser isn't the only "Dutton Ranch" star who admitted how difficult it was approaching the "Yellowstone" spinoff without Taylor Sheridan. In fact, both he and Kelly Reilly addressed it in a joint interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I really went into this season going, 'Okay, I don't have Taylor [Sheridan]'s words anymore and it was scary because they are big boots to fill,'" Reilly shared. The British actor elaborated, "I was very uncertain of what this would be without his words. I didn't know if it was gonna work. I didn't know if she was going to work." As Hauser reiterated, "What made this last year special is that we worked on our feet, and we can do that now. There's a confidence that we both built with each other, and with Christina [Voros], to be able to do that." 

However, it did leave him wondering whether that was the best, or healthiest, mindset in the long run. Reilly reckoned it wasn't, quipping, "I think I might die." Hauser ultimately agreed, "I think it would get old pretty quick." Luckily for the longtime co-stars, who play fan-favorite couple Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton, Reilly teased that Sheridan may play a bigger role in Season 2 of "Dutton Ranch." "We talk to him now about what the next season could be, and he wants to be involved," she disclosed. In fact, fans have complained about Rip and Beth being sidelined on "Dutton Ranch," in Season 1, so maybe some more input from Sheridan in the future would fix that. Time will tell.