Ed Harris has opened up about his disappointment with how his role in Dutton Ranch was handled, saying he felt sidelined during the show’s first season.
The actor said that midway through production on the Yellowstone spin-off, he was so unhappy with the part that he urged his representatives to get him out of the project.
Speaking with Variety at the premiere of Apple TV’s The Dink, Harris explained that what he was promised before joining the series did not match how things played out on screen.
“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. And that wasn’t really the case.”
Although he did not single out anyone by name, Harris said he made it clear he was unhappy with how little he had to do.
“I said, ‘I’m feeling underused and inconsequential,’ and they kind of went, ‘Oh’.
“I’m being told my character will have a little bit more to do in season two. I was just a little frustrated, to tell you the truth.”
Harris stars as Everett McKinney, a veterinarian, and remains contracted for two seasons of the drama. He said he did not feel the role was especially significant while filming, but his view changed after he watched the finished show.
He appears across all nine episodes of the season alongside Annette Bening, Finn Little and Juan Pablo Raba, but his character is not among the story’s most prominent figures.
Even so, Harris said his opinion softened once he finally watched the finished product. He came away thinking the series was “pretty good” and felt Everett ended up being more significant to the plot than it seemed during filming.
It is not yet known whether Harris intends to step away from the series, despite previously considering it.
Harris also pointed to one particular moment on set that left him especially angry.
“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’.
“I walk up to the mic, and they cut it. They cut the song out. I’m going, ‘F*** you, people’.”
According to Harris, he was later told the musical moment was removed because it was considered “too up” for the bleak tone at the end of the episode. At the time, he said the decision frustrated him enough that he felt like it was reason to walk away from the contract entirely.
Dutton Ranch premiered on Paramount+ on May 15 and quickly became a major hit for the streaming service. The show follows Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler as they leave Montana to build their own ranch in South Texas.
It went on to set a new record as the biggest original series debut in Paramount+ history, drawing 12.9 million viewers worldwide in its opening week.