These days, Taylor Sheridan is known to most for his work behind the camera. Back in 2015, the Texas native wrote the screenplay for Sicario. In 2017, he wrote and directed the crime drama, making a splash on Netflix these days, Wind River. However, it was in 2018 when he co-created the hit neo-western drama, Yellowstone, that put him on the map and made him a household name. Since then, the Taylor Sheridan cinematic universe has only expanded, with the 55-year-old adding shows like 1883, 1923, Landman, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King and more to his repertoire. While Sheridan found fame thanks to his work behind the camera, did you know that he had an acting career prior to making it big?

“I was a fair actor, but that’s all I was ever going to be,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in 2023. “Hollywood will tell you what you’re supposed to do if you listen. If you’re banging your head against the wall for 20 years trying to be an actor, maybe you shouldn’t be an actor. But the first thing I ever wrote [the pilot for Mayor of Kingstown in 2011] got me meetings at every major network, at every agency. I had multiple people trying to buy it.” Eventually, Sheridan would make the transition—but that doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten his work on the screen. Here, take a look at some of his most notable roles in front of the camera.

Taylor Sheridan in ‘Veronica Mars’

Long before he was roping his way into the western world, Taylor Sheridan had a role in the drama Veronica Mars, led by Kristen Bell. In the show, he brought to life the character of Danny Boyd for a few episodes, who worked with the Fitzpatrick crime family. Flash forward a few years, Bell’s husband, Dax Shepard, went on to share a photo of his wife in an embrace with Yellowstone star Luke Grimes, the caption reading, “Well, that’s a wrap on my marriage! I wish you both well, and I don’t blame either of you. Fair play @lukegrimes.” The Taylor Sheridan ties run deep!

Taylor Sheridan in ‘Sons of Anarchy’

One of Taylor Sheridan’s most prominent television roles was on the hit drama Sons of Anarchy. Hale played Deputy Chief David Hale, who was often at odds with the crew at the center of the show. Though his character eventually met his end, Sheridan played the perfect antagonist in this series centered around a motorcycle club.

“I’ve always said Hollywood will tell you what you’re supposed to be doing, if you will listen,” the actor told Deadline about why he stepped away from the show. “At that time, they were offering me what I thought was a very unfair wage. It was less than virtually every other person on the show, and not enough for me to quit my second job.”

He recalled a conversation between a business affairs attorney and Sheridan’s attorney in which he was told he wasn’t worth more money. “I decided right there that I didn’t want to be 11 on the call sheet for the rest of my life. Now, I am happily 11 on the call sheet on Yellowstone, but I don’t think anybody wants to watch me do anything on television for an hour because the business told me they don’t. They told me I’m supposed to storytell behind the camera.”

Taylor Sheridan in ‘Yellowstone’

You’ve certainly caught Sheridan playing the part of Travis in Yellowstone, a horse trainer and friend of the Duttons. In this role, Sheridan was able to take his cowboy roots and Texas background and put them to good use on screen.

Taylor Sheridan in ‘Lioness’

Sheridan made a cameo in another one of his series, Lioness, where he brought to life the character of Cody Spears, a CIA officer, who works alongside Zoe Saldaña’s character.

Taylor Sheridan in ‘1883’

Sheridan was nearly unrecognizable in the Yellowstone prequel series 1883 as Charles Goodnight. His look was complete with a thick, bushy beard, and his character helped the Duttons out of a bind with their wagon.