Billy Bob Thornton Reveals Hollywood’s Treatment Of Taylor Sheridan

“Yellowstone” co-creator Taylor Sheridan built an entertainment empire, but according to Billy Bob Thornton, Hollywood had very little to do with his success.

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Sheridan saw success in his role on “Sons of Anarchy,” but just as it seemed his career was on an upward trajectory, he realized it wasn’t. In an interview with Town & Country, Sheridan reflected on the fragility of his Hollywood career and the realization that despite his success, his income wasn’t secure.

“I was homeless twice,” Sheridan said.

“Holly­wood wasn’t nice to Taylor,” Thornton told the publication.

Thornton went on to say that Hollywood’s treatment of Sheridan ultimately pushed him to move beyond the industry’s confines.

“There’s something about being an outsider that drives you,” Thornton said.

Sheridan admitted that he faced some very challenging times before he turned a new page.

He left Hollywood in favor of a more authentic rural lifestyle.

“I lived in my car. Sometimes I’d go to Ojai, just somewhere where I could safely sleep. I did that for six months,” Sheridan told Town & Country.

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Sheridan took ownership of his decision to remain in the entertainment industry, but found a way to do it on his own terms.

“I could have decided at any point, ‘I’m going to go get a full-time job and I’m going to give up this dream,’ ” Sheridan said.

“And I chose to sleep in my car over that.”

Sheridan transitioned from acting to directing and producing while pursuing his passion for ranch life.

He told the outlet that things changed for him after he created the script for “Hell or High Water.”

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“When I sold that first screenplay, I bought a little house on an acre on a river in Wyoming,” Sheridan said.

“We moved there, and I wrote a check for it. Then, as I would start to have more success, I would buy a little bit more land beside it and get a couple horses.”

Sheridan now owns an impressive real estate portfolio in Texas.

“I’m still so averse to having to ever owe anybody anything,” he told Town & Country.

Thornton asserted that Sheridan’s success was a true measure of his authenticity.

“I think the ranch community in Texas accepted Taylor 100 percent because he’s not phoning it in,” he said.

“He doesn’t go to the tourist cowboy shop and get an outfit. This is the real thing.” (RELATED: ‘Yellowstone’ Creator Taylor Sheridan Invests In Renowned Texas Restaurant)

Sheridan rarely leaves his ranch and spends most of his days caring for horses and doing the physical labor that ranch life demands.

His career in Hollywood reflects his lifestyle, as seen in hits such as “Yellowstone,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” and “The Madison.”

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