Before transforming television with his work on Yellowstone, Taylor Sheridan’s top underrated TV roles saw him embody cowboys, lawmen, and enigmatic supporting characters across a range of series. His journey from early guest appearances to creator of celebrated Western sagas is marked by a string of lesser-known but impactful performances, as he steadily honed his craft on both sides of the camera.
Tracing Sheridan’s Growth from Acting to Storytelling
Long before the spotlight of Yellowstone and acclaimed films like Sicario, Taylor Sheridan sharpened his skills as an actor in a variety of television roles that ranged from walk-on parts to series regulars. Sheridan’s debut on Walker, Texas Ranger in the 1990s planted roots in a Western setting years before his later works redefined the genre. He blended seamlessly into gritty dramas like Sons of Anarchy, inhabited suspenseful arcs in Veronica Mars, and even dived into science fiction and procedural series, all while bringing an authentic presence that hinted at the authenticity he would later bring as a writer-director. Even now, Sheridan often finds ways to appear in his own projects, merging his real-life cowboy experience with fictional worlds, from dust-choked ranches to shadowy corners of law enforcement drama.
1. Sheridan as Travis Wheatley in ‘Yellowstone’ (2018–2024)
Taylor Sheridan’s most recognizable television role is Travis Wheatley on Yellowstone. Sheridan, who owns the famed Four Sixes Ranch in Texas, plays Travis—a tough, straight-talking horse trader who oversees the same ranch on screen. Travis first entered the Yellowstone narrative in Season 4, when John Dutton tasked him with guiding Jimmy through the rigors of working with horses, rodeo circuits, and ranch life. Sheridan injected authenticity into Travis, drawing from his own real-world ranching life, which made his limited nine-episode appearance especially resonant within the Dutton family’s world.
Travis was depicted with signature no-nonsense wit, as highlighted by moments such as sporting shirts imprinted with sayings like
Your girlfriend keeps looking at me.
—Travis Wheatley, Yellowstone. Though certain sequences, including a star-studded cameo in Season 5, divided part of the audience, Sheridan stayed focused, letting his portrayal quietly enrich the series’ Western aura. He, uniquely, bridges his life as a ranch owner and TV creator, leaving a lasting impression in every scene as the archetype of rugged Western competence.
2. Grit and Tension as Cody Spears in ‘Lioness’ (2024)
Stepping into the shoes of a Delta Force operative, Sheridan’s turn as Cody Spears in Lioness Season 2 brought a jolt of authenticity and dramatic pressure. As a CIA “manhunter” on loan for dangerous rescues, Cody Spears was involved in three episodes that sent him across borders and into fraught confrontations to rescue a congresswoman from captivity in Mexico. Echoing the tension and intensity of his earlier screenwriting in Sicario, Sheridan’s portrayal alongside Zoe Saldaña’s Joe—herself a high-level CIA trainer—demonstrated his ability to inhabit both physical and psychological crises.
Cody’s missions crossed into cartel territory, where he coordinated extraction operations alongside allied operatives against dangerous odds. Sheridan’s restrained, understated approach lent urgency and credibility to the perilous rescue scenes, reinforcing Lioness’s already weighty atmosphere with another grounded, unsentimental character. For fans of Sheridan, seeing him step into the action was a rewarding nod to his multifaceted role as both creator and performer.
3. Sheridan’s Alien Zealot: Jareb in ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ (2004)
Breaking away from Westerns, Taylor Sheridan assumed the role of Jareb, a devout Triannon zealot, in the third season of Star Trek: Enterprise. In the episode titled “Chosen Realm,” Jareb was part of a faction that took control of the Enterprise to wage a holy war, motivated by religious extremism under the faction’s charismatic leader, D’Jamat. Credited as Tayler Sheridan, his character was central to escalating the crew’s predicament, commandeering a science station, and enforcing drastic demands.
Although his time on screen was short, Sheridan’s presence lent depth to what might otherwise have been a standard villainous role. The arc resolved as ship security and Doctor Phlox countered the invaders, with Jareb ultimately being subdued. Appearing in full sci-fi regalia and makeup, Sheridan’s performance stood out in the storied Star Trek franchise, showcasing his early range and willingness to tackle diverse genres—even where cowboy hats were swapped for alien prosthetics.
4. Brief but Authoritative: Captain Jennings in ‘NCIS: Los Angeles’ (2011)
Taylor Sheridan’s appearance as Navy Captain Jennings in NCIS: Los Angeles, during Season 2’s “Enemy Within,” cast him as a Naval Intelligence Officer overseeing a high-stakes investigation. Appearing just as a missing lieutenant commander’s case hinted at a broader assassination conspiracy involving international actors, Jennings provided critical intelligence and strategic coordination to agents Callen and Sam.
Though not a long-lasting part, Sheridan’s role was notable for its sharp, disciplined delivery—marking a contrast to his more rugged Western personas. Instead, in a crisp uniform, he embodied the formality and caution of an intelligence officer, displaying another facet of his adaptability in television. Moments like this, away from the boots-and-spurs iconography, illustrate how Sheridan’s on-screen work enhanced even brief appearances with gravitas and clarity, helping drive narrative momentum in ensemble procedural dramas.
5. A Cowboy’s Cameo: Sheridan on Horseback in ‘Hell or High Water’ (2016)
Besides penning the acclaimed screenplay for Hell or High Water, Sheridan made a memorable cameo as a cowboy herding cattle against the threat of wildfire. His fleeting appearance—riding across the scorched Texas landscape as Jeff Bridges’ character passes—served as a succinct tribute to the real-life cowboy grit that underpins much of Sheridan’s storytelling.
Operating with understated realism, the scene symbolized Sheridan’s dedication to honoring the tradition and realities of Western living. His approach to this cameo, and the supporting details such as personally training actors and supplying horses for film productions, reflected a deep respect for authenticity. Hell or High Water’s revival of the Western genre, led by Sheridan’s writing and grounded by his small on-screen moment, signaled a new era of rough-hewn, unvarnished storytelling both on film and television.
6. Channeling Legend: Charles Goodnight in ‘1883’ (2022)
In a nod to both Western history and his own legacy, Sheridan appeared briefly as Charles Goodnight in 1883, the Yellowstone prequel chronicling the Dutton clan’s migration to Montana. As Goodnight—a legendary cattle and bison rancher known for his vigilante justice and frontier tenacity—Sheridan galloped onto the screen in Episode 7 to deliver timely aid to the embattled Shea (Sam Elliott), James (Tim McGraw), and Elsa (Isabel May).
The casting was deliberate homage, positioning Sheridan to pay respect directly to figures who shaped the mythos he celebrates as a writer. Set alongside performances by Faith Hill and a broader ensemble cast, Sheridan’s two-episode arc as Goodnight was compact but significant, embodying a spirit of rugged valor that echoes throughout the series. The brief appearance, true to both history and Sheridan’s modern interpretation, left a strong impression of authenticity and reverence for the Western genre’s legacy.
7. The Moral Compass: Deputy David Hale in ‘Sons of Anarchy’ (2008–2010)
One of Sheridan’s most substantial and memorable acting contributions comes as Deputy David Hale in Sons of Anarchy. In the tumultuous town of Charming, Hale represents the rule of law, striving to maintain order amidst rival gangs and blurred boundaries. Nicknamed “Captain America” by Chief Unser, Hale was a lone voice of reason, steadfastly upholding what he believed was right—even as those beliefs set him at odds with the notorious SAMCRO biker gang.
Sheridan’s portrayal brought a principled, conflicted energy to the show, giving the audience a character who actively struggled with the pressures of loyalty, justice, and family. His arc, particularly in the first two seasons, added moral weight to a landscape otherwise driven by antiheroes. The abrupt and shocking end to Hale’s story in the Season 3 opener marked a pivotal shift in both the series and Sheridan’s career, as his exit from acting led directly into his success as a creator and storyteller for screen.
8. Early Western Roots: Corporal Winters in ‘Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman’ (1997)
In one of his earliest forays into television Westerns, Sheridan appeared in Season 6 of Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman as Corporal Winters. Set in a world where frontier politics, evolving justice, and small-town tensions often clashed, Sheridan’s character was drawn into a complicated local dispute over a new sheriff’s election and the scrambles for influence that followed.
Though Winters was not a major player nor gifted with arcs lasting over multiple episodes, the appearance placed Sheridan in the thick of Western TV storytelling—long before he would steer such stories himself. Dr. Quinn, led by Jane Seymour’s Boston doctor in rugged Colorado Springs, provided a showcase for evolving roles and social themes, and Sheridan’s involvement stands as an early indicator of the actor’s affinity for frontier tales and the settings that would later define his career.
9. Streetwise Danger: Danny Boyd in ‘Veronica Mars’ (2005–2007)
Between 2005 and 2007, Taylor Sheridan added to his range by recurring in Veronica Mars as Danny Boyd, a tough PCH biker and enforcer tied to the Fitzpatrick crime syndicate. Danny, appearing in five episodes of the noir-inspired drama starring Kristen Bell as the unflappable Veronica, worked construction jobs, handled explosives, and navigated the criminal underworld on behalf of his cousin Liam, the Fitzpatricks’ formidable leader.
Boyd’s encounters with Veronica Mars offered moments of simmering menace, but also a grounded realism that fit the world of Neptune’s corrupt power brokers and youth-driven investigations. Sheridan imbued Danny with understated threat, underscoring his handle on the “quiet tough guy” archetype long before taking the helm of his own projects. While not a lead role, Danny Boyd remains a testament to the actor’s willingness to inhabit supporting characters who complicate the main story’s moral lines.
10. A Short, Sharp Turn: Field Officer Brian in ‘12 Strong’ (2018)
Sheridan delivered a brief but effective performance as Brian, a CIA paramilitary field officer, in 12 Strong. Based on the real events of Horse Soldiers, Brian’s role finds him greeting the new Special Forces team (ODA 595) arriving in Afghanistan after 9/11, bristling with suspicion and pragmatism as he initially confronts the arrivals at his outpost, dubbed The Alamo.
Though only on screen for a short stretch, Sheridan’s performance added an immediate sense of urgency and world-weariness to the film’s tense military proceedings. He briefed the newcomers on the fast-changing local realities and displayed credible fluency in languages of the region, reinforcing the team’s feeling of isolation and uncertainty. While the role was small amid a cast including Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, and Michael Peña, Sheridan’s turn contributed an extra layer of grit to the ensemble’s dynamic.
How Sheridan’s Early Roles Shape His Creative Vision
Taylor Sheridan’s evolution from supporting actor to influential creator was grounded in the lessons and experiences gleaned from his diverse array of television roles. Whether anchoring drama as a principled lawman, lending menace as a syndicate enforcer, or providing grit to high-stakes action, each character added to his capacity for crafting authentic stories. His cameos and minor performances across series ranging from science fiction to procedural thrillers all contributed to a layered understanding of narrative and characterization.
Sheridan’s consistent commitment to realism, especially in Western settings, is visible both in his performances and his creative projects—bridging his roles as cowboy and auteur. As his career transitioned to writing and producing, Sheridan never fully left behind the perspective of an actor, continuing to bring depth and lived experience to the worlds he builds. This trajectory has allowed him to redefine expectations for Westerns and action dramas on television and beyond, leaving an imprint that began with his very first appearances on screen but now stretches across genres and generations.
