In a recent interview, Ed Harris opened up about his role in the “Yellowstone” spinoff, “Dutton Ranch.” He said he felt so misled about his role that he was ready to break the two-season contract and walk away while only halfway through filming season 1.
Harris particularly referred to a moment early in filming the first season where a scene of him singing was cut from an episode. This incident was one of the main reasons he felt his character was being underutilized in his onscreen role in the Paramount+ series.
The actor plays veterinarian Everett McKinney in “Dutton Ranch” and said he felt “underused and inconsequential” during the show’s first season. Due to this, he had a chat with the producers in the hope that this would lead to him having “more to do” when season 2 starts filming early in 2027.
Why Did Ed Harris Want To Break His ‘Dutton Ranch’ Contract?
GettySpeaking to Variety on July 20 at the premiere of the Apple TV show, “The Dink,” Harris said of his “Dutton Ranch” role, “I felt a little bit misled,” adding, “Prior to me signing on for it, I was talked to quite a bit about what the season was and what my character was… and that I was one of the four main characters, and that wasn’t really the case.”
Harris said that prior to him agreeing to the show, he was told his character was going to sing in one episode, but that scene ended up being cut.
“They cut the song out. I’m like, ‘[expletive] you people.’ We did it, and they never showed it,” he explained. “They said it was too ‘up’ for the dark ending of that episode. And that to me was enough reason to say, ‘Okay, I’m voiding my contract.’”
“Midway through the season, I was ready to say, ‘Get me the [expletive] out of here,’ to tell you the truth,” Harris added. “Because I didn’t feel like I was being used.”
Will He Return for Dutton Ranch Season 2?
When speaking to Variety about season 2, which starts filming in February 2027, he said he had conversation about his frustrations over his character in season 1.
“I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential.’ And they went, ‘Oh,’” Harris said. “…I’m being told that my character will have a little bit more to do [in Season 2]. It just was a little frustrating, to tell you the truth.”
The actor said that when he watched season 1 of “Dutton Ranch,” he found it “pretty good” and felt that his character seemed “relatively important to the story.” He added, “But the doing of it did not feel that way.”
What Is “Dutton Ranch’ About?
“Dutton Ranch” is a spinoff from the “Yellowstone” series and features Cole Hauser and Kelly Reilly reprising their roles as Rip Wheeler and Beth Dutton. The spinoff sees Wheeler and Dutton relocating from Montana to Texas to start out fresh with a new ranch.
However, they soon run into trouble with new rivalries, as well as a massive drug-smuggling cartel operation.
Season 1 of the series premiered on Paramount+ in May this year, and while season 2 has no official release date, it is expected to drop at some time in 2027.
