Taylor Sheridan, a gifted actor, who later transitioned to screenwriting, has come a long way since his appearances on the hit television series, Sons of Anarchy. He has become well-known in the film industry for his realistic storytelling and compelling character development.
As an actor, he had successfully carved out a successful career. He was by no means a famous actor, but he worked steadily for years in recurring roles on series like Veronica Mars and Sons of Anarchy. But he did not feel creatively satisfied, so he began writing screenplays and came out with a bang: Sicario, the gripping, Denis Villeneuve action-thriller film, starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro.
Sheridan revealed in his earlier interview how he went from being in front of the camera to becoming a formidable screenwriter. The artist, 53, thought back on his early career when he had to negotiate Hollywood’s challenging landscape while taking on small roles in a variety of TV shows and movies.
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The Epic Transition Of Taylor Sheridan From Actor To Screenwriter
Taylor Sheridan’s acting career started with small-budget movies and recurring parts in shows like Veronica Mars, Walker, Texas Ranger, and—most notably—as David Hale in Sons of Anarchy.
He started producing screenplays when he turned 40. Sheridan made the switch from actor to screenwriter with the release of Denis Villeneuve’s border thriller Sicario, starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro.
For his work on the 2015 action-thriller Sicario, the 53-year-old was nominated for a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay. He discussed his transition from acting to writing in an earlier interview, stating:
“I’ve been very fortunate to make a living as an actor. That’s not very common. But I was going to have to get lucky to get rich, you know?”
The critically acclaimed crime thriller, Sicario, written by Sheridan, was released in 2015. Together with the filmmaker, Denis Villeneuve, they created an engrossing narrative about the drug war on the U.S.-Mexico border. The actor-turned-filmmaker recalled:
“I was doing what I did. Now, I’m a good-looking guy, but I’m not real good-looking, and there’s a whole lot of people that are. I was fine with what I was doing, but creatively I was feeling very limited. Also, I’d became fascinated with the notion of possibly being able to tell a story with no exposition at all.”
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How Taylor Sheridan Brought Sicario To The Big Screen
Taylor Sheridan‘s talent for fusing heartfelt emotion with grim realism sets him apart from other screenwriters. He is known for delivering a powerful emotional punch while tackling touchy subjects like crime, justice, and the human condition.
Sicario’s script, however, was shelved by studios because it was deemed too risky, so bringing it to the big screen was particularly difficult for Sheridan.
Enrique Serrano Escobar, the Former Mayor of Ciudad Juárez, urged residents to boycott the movie prior to its release because he thought it painted a false and unfavorable picture of the city.
Sheridan explained how he was able to bring the movie on a big screen:
“I sent it to the attorney who had negotiated a few deals for me and didn’t want to negotiate any more, and I was like, ‘I’m begging you, please, please read this. I don’t know what to do.’ He read the script and was very taken by it, so he took it and put it in the hands of some agents who liked me. They staked their reputation on it and started sending it around.”
The movie received three nominations for the 88th Academy Awards: best sound editing, best original score, and best cinematography. Additionally, it received BAFTA nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Film Music, and Best Supporting Actor.
The sequel, Sicario: Day of the Soldado was released in 2018. Sicario: Capos, a third movie, is currently in production.
Sicario is streaming on Paramount Plus, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado is available on FuboTV.
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Source- Uproxx
