Sam Elliott's Three-Word Diss About Yellowstone Hit Taylor Sheridan Right In The Gut

Sam Elliott has appeared in two Taylor Sheridan TV shows, but that doesn't mean he's a fan of all of 'em. In fact, Sheridan himself confessed that when they spoke about the possibility of Elliott joining "Yellowstone" prequel "1883," the celebrated actor made it painfully clear in just three little words that he didn't like the OG series. The prolific showrunner recounted the diss during a June 2026 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show." Detailing how he finally convinced the Oscar nominee to join "1883," Sheridan shared how Elliott told him plainly, "I don't like that 'Yellowstone.' That's a cowboy soap opera." Oof. Luckily, he wasn't offended. 

In fact, the "Wind River" director actually agreed. As Sheridan clarified, "I said, 'You're right. I'm not asking you to be on that [...] That's the punk rock me, throwing middle fingers at the industry [...] This is going to be the grown-up me.'" The actor-turned-director went on to share some more about the character he wanted Elliott to bring to life, and luckily, the "Tombstone" star felt very differently about him, acknowledging, "That's beautiful. I'd love to do that." The rest is history, with Elliott memorably playing Shea Brennan in the "Yellowstone" prequel. 

Even so, while discussing "1883" with Esquire, in December 2021, the actor still made a point of distancing the two shows from each other. "I'm very adamant to dissect this from 'Yellowstone.' '1883' stands on its own. The only connection to 'Yellowstone,' in my estimation, is the fact that this is how John Dutton ended up in Montana on this journey. That's it," Elliott stated firmly. For what it's worth, Sheridan still isn't bothered. For one, he told Stern he found Elliott to be, "One of the most delightful human beings I've ever met." He also hired him again.

Just three years after "1883," Sam Elliott returned to the Taylor Sheridan universe, this time as T.L. Norris in "Landman." Suffice it to say, the veteran performer was as impressed with Sheridan as the writer was with him. Elliott discussed both the character and the script in a November 2025 chat with Variety. While describing how his "Landman" character is significantly more emotional than most of his past roles, Elliot noted, "One of the great gifts about Taylor's material is that it just allows that kind of emotion to flow. I spent a good part of my time in tears this entire season, so it wasn't something I expected, but it's just something that happened." The "Hero" star also lauded Sheridan for creating characters connected to the land, particularly because he's personally spent so much of his life outdoors. "That really speaks deeply to me," Elliott confirmed. 

Taylor Sheridan has long said some of the tragic details of his life, such as growing up on a family ranch and then losing it, have inspired his work, so we're not surprised those details rang true to the Western icon. Outside of their professional admiration for one another, Sheridan and the famously mustachioed Sam Elliott have also become good friends. Elsewhere in his appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," the "Yellowstone" co-creator enthused that he was absolutely thrilled about it. "You've got to pinch yourself sometimes when you sit there and you see Sam Elliott saying your words. I have to pinch myself more to say that I can honestly call him a friend," Sheridan gushed. We're happy for them (even if "Yellowstone" still isn't Elliott's cup of tea).