In a recent interview on ‘The Joe Rogan Experience,’ Taylor Sheridan, who created the television series ‘Yellowstone’ and its spinoffs, revealed the severe toll his demanding work schedule has taken on his health.
During the conversation, Sheridan described his relentless routine as a director and writer, which leaves him with a mere three to four hours of sleep per night:
“When I go direct, if I go on a six-month, which I’m about to, a six-month seven-month run of directing every single day, where I have to make decisions from 6 a.m. to 9 o’clock at night, then I gotta watch footage until midnight, I get three or four hours of sleep for six months, I’m a f*cking wreck after six months.”
The filmmaker also shared his writing process, especially during the creation of ‘Yellowstone’s third season. While directing the movie ‘Those Who Wish Me Dead’ with Angelina Jolie, Sheridan was under the gun to produce scripts for the show. His weekends were consumed by writing, with little time for rest:
“I was directing a movie with Angelina Jolie in New Mexico. And they had a start date, that by god they were going to start. It didn’t matter that they didn’t have scripts; they were going to start. And I had to, you know, we would do a night shoot Friday night and finish about 7 in the morning. Then I would come home and sleep until 2. Then I’d wake up, have coffee, and write the script on Saturday until 1 or 2 in the morning. Then, wake up on Sunday and do it again. Finish the script and send it off. I did it ten weeks in a row. It f*cking killed me.”
Despite the physical and mental strain, Sheridan knows the importance of his health and is aware of the extreme nature of his workdays, which typically extend 14 to 16 hours. You can watch the full episode of the podcast below.
Sheridan Still Has a Busy Schedule Ahead
As it appears, Sheridan’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, with an expanding slate of projects. Alongside ‘Yellowstone,’ he has spearheaded its spinoffs — ‘1883,’ ‘1923,’ ‘2024,’ ‘1944,’ and ‘6666’ — and created ‘Tulsa King’ and ‘Mayor of Kingstown.’
Besides, he is producing ‘Lawmen: Bass Reeves’ and adapting ‘Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker’ and ‘Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History’ for the screen.
For fans eager to watch Sheridan’s ‘Yellowstone,’ it is available to stream on Peacock, with his other series accessible via Paramount+.
