We’re at the point where the list of A-listers starring in Taylor Sheridan shows feels endless. He writes parts specifically for these actors too, and pitches them the general idea before he sits down to pen the script. While I would guess many are quick to say yes, that wasn’t the case for 1883’s Sam Elliott. In fact, he couldn’t stand Yellowstone and wasn’t too sure about doing a prequel at first. However, Sheridan convinced him to do it. This all came up when Howard Stern asked Sheridan if he was “shocked” when Sam Elliott signed on to one of his shows during an interview on The Howard Stern Show. Considering Elliott once told CinemaBlend that “on some level [he] can’t stand” Yellowstone, I was also wondering about this. It turns out the writer convinced the actor by admitting he was right and explaining how 1883 would be totally different from the flagship show: So, with Sam, which I used him in 1883, it’s funny because I called him, and we talked, and he’s like, ‘I don’t like that Yellowstone. That’s a cowboy soap opera.’ 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 and a lot of other shit. This is gonna be the grown-up me. I have a story I want to tell. Here’s the story, and here’s the arc of your character.’ This kind of conversation is par for the course for Sheridan. As he explained earlier in this interview, he writes parts for specific actors. He did it for Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford for 1923, and that’s what he did for Michelle Pfeiffer and The Madison, too. This was also the case for how he got Billy Bob Thornton to do Landman, which is relevant to this story, because Elliott is now also in that Texas-set show. However, going back to 1883, that conversation Sheridan had with Elliott totally changed the game. And once he knew the story this prequel was telling, he was all in, as the creator of the Yellowstone universe said: And I pitched it to him, and he said, ‘That’s beautiful. I’d love to do that.’ I said, ‘Great. I’m going to go write it for you.’ I have to say, 1883 is so different from the other Yellowstone shows, and I think it’s the best of the bunch. To use Sheridan’s term, it’s far less soapy than the others; it feels more grounded and realistic, and it hits way different than Yellowstone. Elliott specifically is astounding in the series as Shea, the cowboy leading the Duttons and co. West. His storyline is tragic, epic and courageous, and, as the actor himself said, “beautiful.” Sheridan is grateful Sam Elliott said yes too, as he finished his comments on him by saying: He’s one of the most delightful human beings I have ever met, and a wizard of an actor. You 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. Well, this all certainly worked out well for both of them. They got a great friendship, 1883 was well-received and is very beloved, and they’re still working together on Landman. So, what started as a tumultuous opinion about Yellowstone turned into a collaboration that you can still see the fruits of with a Paramount+ subscription.