16 Years Later, Taylor Sheridan Still Hasn't Topped The Neo-Western That Launched His Career

ABACA/INSTARimages.com Published Sep 14, 2026, 4:46 PM EDT Adrienne Tyler is a movies & TV features writer, with a focus on horror. She has written for Netflix, FanSided, & more. She was a regular guest on the Netfreaks podcast and was a YouTuber at some point. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Taylor Sheridan is now best-known for his Western TV shows, but as good as they are, none have yet topped the one that launched his career almost two decades ago. The Western genre has found great success on TV in the last decade, and that’s in large part thanks to the works of Taylor Sheridan. The actor, writer, producer, and director has made a name for himself in the Western genre on TV as both an actor and creator, while also branching out to films. Sheridan’s career began as an actor in the 1990s, with his first notable role being Danny Boyd in Veronica Mars. In 2008, Sheridan got his big break when he was cast as Deputy David Hale in the neo-Western TV show Sons of Anarchy. Sheridan stayed in Charming with the Sons of Anarchy club for two seasons, with his final appearance being in season 3’s premiere episode. After that, Sheridan made a career change and focused on writing rather than on acting, though he didn’t leave the latter entirely. Sheridan went on to make his feature directorial debut in 2011 with Vile, after which he wrote Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, the latter also directed by him. In 2018, Sheridan created Yellowstone, which launched a franchise with prequels, sequels, and spinoffs. Sheridan is now a big name in the Western genre thanks to the Yellowstone franchise, and as good as it is, it hasn’t topped Sons of Anarchy and Sheridan’s work in it. Sons Of Anarchy Is Still The Best TV Show Taylor Sheridan Has Been Involved In Created by Kurt Sutter, Sons of Anarchy premiered on FX in 2008 and ran for seven seasons, ending in 2014. While Sons of Anarchy definitely had its flaws and weak moments, it was, overall, a consistently good show, so much so that it’s now regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time. Sons of Anarchy has a perfect combination of neo-Western, crime, action, and drama, with some truly unexpected twists and reveals. Sons of Anarchy takes viewers to the fictional town of Charming, California, to meet the title motorcycle club, led by President Clay Morrow (Ron Perlman) and VP Jackson “Jax” Teller (Charlie Hunnam), son of one of the club’s founders. Throughout seven seasons, the audience follows Jax through many personal struggles as he does his best to fulfill his father’s plans for the club, be loyal to his family and club brothers, and form his own family. However, Jax faces different threats and enemies along the way, as well as betrayals, losses, and many deaths. Sheridan made his first appearance in Sons of Anarchy’s second season, and he played one of the show’s most ambiguous characters, as viewers could never know exactly whose side he was on. Sons of Anarchy has complex characters, emotional depth, character development, and makes sure to keep the audience engaged through different and escalating conflicts, twists, ambiguous characters, and lots of drama. Deputy Hale Was The Screen Role That Launched Sheridan’s Career As mentioned above, Taylor Sheridan wasn’t a newcomer when he joined Sons of Anarchy, but Sutter’s show was the one that launched his career. Deputy David Hale gave Sheridan a chance to show his acting range, as he’s not only a character on the side of the law (and one with very clear yet limited views on what’s right and wrong), but also an antagonist to Jax and SAMCRO for that exact reason. The cruel reality of Charming forces Hale to question his beliefs, actions, and views, adding depth to the character, with Sheridan perfectly bringing to life Hale’s struggles and many changes. Sons of Anarchy launched Sheridan’s career thanks to his performance in it, but also, in a less positive light, thanks to behind-the-scenes problems that led him to leave the show and decide to focus on writing and directing other projects. Sons of Anarchy gave Taylor Sheridan the exposure he needed as an actor, and while his problems with the show’s producers led to Hale’s death, it ultimately led him to his best path as a writer, director, and producer. Release Date 2008 - 2014 Network FX Showrunner Kurt Sutter Cast Charlie Hunnam Jax Teller Katey Sagal Gemma Teller Morrow Directors Paris Barclay, Guy Ferland, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Peter Weller, Billy Gierhart, Kurt Sutter, Stephen Kay, Adam Arkin, Paul Maibaum, Phil Abraham, Terrence O'Hara, Allen Coulter, Charles Haid, Charles Murray, Karen Gaviola, Mario Van Peebles, Michael Dinner, Seith Mann, Tim Hunter Writers Dave Erickson, Misha Green, Liz Sagal, Regina Corrado, Mike Daniels, Kem Nunn, Roberto Patino, Gladys Rodríguez, Peter Elkoff, Marco Ramirez, James D. Parriott, Julie Busher, Pat Charles, Stevie Long, David Labrava, Vaun Wilmott Franchise(s) Sons Of Anarchy