WILD WEST

Ed Harris Complaints Cause Big ‘Yellowstone’ Spinoff Shakeup

“I felt like I was being used,” the Oscar-nominated actor said.

Dutton Ranch, the spinoff series of the hit show Yellowstone, let go of showrunner Chad Feehan following private complaints from its star, Ed Harris, that Feehan was underutilizing his character, a veterinarian named Everett McKinney.

“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 revealed publicly in a candid red carpet interview this week. “And that wasn’t really the case.”

Harris, a two-time Golden Globe winner, a three-time Emmy nominee, and a two-time Academy Award nominee, has agreed to stay signed on for Dutton Ranch’s second season despite frustration with Season 1. The show centers around a couple trying to build a new life after moving to South Texas.

“Midway through this first season, I was ready to go; I said, ‘Get me the f--- out of here,’ to tell you the truth,” Harris said. “Because I didn’t feel like I was being used. I felt a little bit misled.”

According to Deadline, the decision to name a new showrunner for the second season was “largely related to how Harris’ character Everett McKinney was utilized—or rather underutilized.”

Harris was reportedly involved in the process of choosing new showrunner Benjamin Cavell, whose credits include creating the CBS drama SEAL Team and writing for the wildly popular series Homeland.

Dutton Ranch aired in May, drawing in 12.9 million viewers globally in the following seven days, making it the biggest original series launch in Paramount+ history. A month after its premiere, Paramount+ announced its renewal for a second season.

Harris admitted that, to the viewer, season one doesn’t necessarily reflect his experience.

“When I watched this season, and it’s fine, and I thought it’s pretty good,” he said. “I felt fine about what I did in it, and it seemed like I was relatively important to the story, but the doing of it did not feel that way.”

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Dana Herrnstadt Editorial Intern, Obsessed

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