Sam Elliott Passed on the Yellowstone Character Taylor Sheridan Originally Wrote for Him

It's hard to imagine a different actor playing Shea Brennan in 1883 -- it's almost as if he was born to do it. But before taking the role, actor Sam Elliott was actually offered a spot in Yellowstone by Taylor Sheridan himself. So, why did he refuse it?

Sam Elliott Joined 1883 After Turning Down a Spot in Yellowstone

Sheridan offered Elliott the chance to appear in Yellowstone before he could join the cast of 1883. Elliott, however, determined that the part was not for him.

“It wasn’t a big deal turning a role down in Yellowstone,” Elliott said. “It was a thing that Taylor really kind of talked about more than anything else with me and it just didn’t speak to me and it wasn’t any big deal, it was a very small part.

“But Taylor said that one of these days we’ll work together, and he came back to me with 1883, and there was no turning this part down.”

Elliott thinks the writing is the most essential aspect of his career; he used to take any part, but he realized he wanted to produce decent work at some point.

"Good work for me has always been born on the page first, so it's always about the script.

Will We See Shea Brennan in 1883 Season 2?

Elliott seemed to be a fantastic fit for the 1883 cast. At the start of the series, his character suffers a tremendous loss. The first episode shows how his daughter and wife perished from smallpox. He then burned down his house and wept over his loss before continuing on with the Dutton family and the immigrants in the hopes of settling in Oregon.

Some people are concerned that Shea will die in 1883 Episode 10 - the first season's final episode. So, will Elliott reprise his role in 1883 Season 2? Or will his role be over after the first season?

There has been no news about the 1883 Season 2 cast as of yet. However, Elliott may have implied that his character makes it all the way to Oregon and survives.

“He’s going to the Oregon coast, and that’s where we finish this thing,” he told Esquire. “That’s where our last days of production are. We’re going to be on the Oregon coast to shoot just a small portion of it.”

But that doesn't mean the Duttons will make it all the way to Oregon. We'll have to wait and then see what happens in the finale episode of 1883.