Ed Harris does not sound satisfied with his role on “Dutton Ranch.” At the Monday night premiere of Apple TV’s “The Dink,” Harris told Variety that he felt “misled” about the importance of his role in the “Yellowstone” spinoff, and that halfway through filming Season 1, he was telling his team to “get me the fuck out of here.”
“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.”
Spokespeople for Paramount, series creator Taylor Sheridan and 101 Studios did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Harris said he expressed his discontent, but did not name Sheridan. “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 explained that when he actually watched “Dutton Ranch,” he thought it was “pretty good,” and he felt his character was “relatively important to the story.” However, during filming, “it didn’t feel that way.”
On “Dutton Ranch,” Harris plays Everett McKinney, a good-humoured veterinarian. Harris is currently signed on for two seasons. While Harris suggested he was ready to walk away from “Dutton Ranch,” it is unclear if he is actually looking to exit the show.
The “Apollo 13” star then recalled filming a scene where his character sings in a bar, only to have the moment cut from the show. Harris said that “really pissed him off.”
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“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.’”
Harris remembered the production telling him they cut the moment because it was “too ‘up’ for the dark ending of that episode.” But Harris said, at the time, he felt like that was “enough reason to say I’m voiding my contract.”
“Dutton Ranch” launched its series premiere on Paramount+ on May 15. The show follows Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as they leave Montana to build their own ranch in South Texas. Other cast members include Finn Little, Juan Pablo Raba, Jai Courtney, J.R. Villarreal, Marc Menchaca, Natalie Alyn Lind and Annette Bening.
From Variety US