Taylor Sheridan is a prolific American writer, producer, director, and actor, best known for co-creating the hit TV series Yellowstone and its prequels 1883 and 1923. He earned critical acclaim as a screenwriter with films like Sicario (2015) and Hell or High Water (2016), the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination. After starting his career in acting with roles in Veronica Mars and Sons of Anarchy, he transitioned to writing and directing, delivering the neo-Western Wind River (2017) and creating several successful Paramount+ series, including Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman. Born in North Carolina but raised in Fort Worth, Texas, Sheridan's authentic "cowboy" identity stems from family visits to a ranch in Cranfills Gap, which he juxtaposed with his time as a "theater kid" in high school. He notably left Texas State University just before graduating, but has since received honorary doctorates from both TCU and Texas State, and was inducted into the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame in 2021.