Cole Hauser pulled back the curtain on the “challenges” of filming “Dutton Ranch” without Taylor Sheridan on set.
“Everything had changed,” the actor, who plays Rip Wheeler, told FilmInside over the weekend of the “Yellowstone” spinoff’s creator working as the executive producer instead of being in the writers’ room.
“Not having Taylor there … the only normality that we had whatsoever was [Finn Little’s character], Carter, [director] Christina [Alexandra Voros], [my co-star] Kelly [Reilly] and myself,” he explained on Saturday of “work[ing] with these new writers [and] these new directors.”
Noting that “there were challenges,” the 51-year-old clarified, “I enjoy a challenge. It certainly was a challenge.
“It was about putting my head down and working my ass off with what I had around me,” he continued. “We worked our asses off this year.”
Hauser said that “a lot of the outside noise” regarding “the weight of” the hit show wasn’t “really apparent” to him at the time.
“We had to figure out on our feet how to really perform and tell a story,” he recalled. “So I’m proud of what we accomplished, and I look forward to doing it again.”
Sheridan’s rep did not immediately respond to Page Six’s request for comment.
Season 2 of the drama is expected to begin production in January.
Although Hauser’s co-star Ed Harris, who plays Everett McKinney, made headlines Tuesday for wanting to “get the f–k out” of the series, he will reportedly return.
The “pissed” 75-year-old claimed he was “underused” and “misled” about his role in a red carpet rant to Variety earlier this week.
“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,” he claimed. “And that wasn’t really the case.”
Harris alleged his concerns were shrugged off when he aired them — and then railed against a singing scene of his being cut from the show.
He did not name-drop Sheridan in the interview.
Sheridan created “Yellowstone” in 2018, with the Paramount show running for five seasons before the “Dutton Ranch” spinoff, which premiered in May.
The 57-year-old, who is also the creator of “Landman,” reportedly signed a deal with NBCUniversal last year after alleged issues with Paramount leadership.
