Taylor Sheridan says his exit from Sons of Anarchy came down to a painful lesson about value in Hollywood.
The actor-turned-TV creator reflected on the career-changing moment during his June 30 debut on The Howard Stern Show.
Entertainment Weekly reported that Sheridan said a pay dispute after Season 2 of the FX drama pushed him to leave both the show and acting as his main career path.
Sheridan played Deputy David Hale on Sons of Anarchy before creating shows including Yellowstone, 1883, Landman, Tulsa King and Lioness.
He Said Sons of Anarchy Still Did Not Pay Enough to Live On
Before his run as one of television’s busiest creators, Sheridan was a working actor trying to cover his bills. Entertainment Weekly reported that Sheridan told Howard Stern he was still making scale on Sons of Anarchy and had to leave the set for another job because the role did not pay enough to support his family.
SiriusXM noted that Sheridan described the Season 2 contract negotiation as the turning point that sent him toward screenwriting.
Sheridan said he told the show he would not return for the same rate after Season 2. He said the dispute was not about star-level money, but about being paid in the same range as other supporting series regulars.
Sheridan Wanted the Same Rate as Other Supporting Regulars
Sheridan said he was not asking to be paid like Charlie Hunnam, Katey Sagal or Ron Perlman. Entertainment Weekly reported that he wanted to be brought up to $20,000 an episode, which he described as the rate for other secondary regulars on the show.
According to EW, Sheridan said the counteroffer came in at $15,000 an episode with a 10-episode guarantee. He recalled being told that there were 50 actors who could play his role for less money.
“I said, ‘Fair enough,’” Sheridan told Stern, according to EW. “And then I quit.”
David Hale Was Killed Off in Season 3
Sheridan chose to leave the show, and Sons of Anarchy wrote out David Hale in the Season 3 premiere. The character was killed during a drive-by sequence, ending one of Sheridan’s most visible acting roles at the time.
Sheridan told Stern the negotiation left him thinking that “my business did not respect me,” according to Entertainment Weekly.
He later described the rejection as the “greatest gift” because it pushed him away from waiting on acting jobs and toward writing his own material.
He Turned to Writing After Leaving the Show
After leaving Sons of Anarchy, Sheridan moved into screenwriting. He later wrote Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River, with Hell or High Water earning him an Academy Award nomination for original screenplay.
His television work expanded with Yellowstone and multiple Paramount-era series. Deadline reported in 2025 that Sheridan was leaving Paramount for a major NBCUniversal film and TV deal, with the TV portion beginning after his Paramount term ends.
EW reported that Sheridan’s current slate includes nine shows, including Yellowstone, Landman, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown, 1923, 1883 and Lioness.
He Still Acts, but Mostly in His Own Projects
Sheridan has not completely stopped acting. He has appeared in several projects he controls creatively, including Yellowstone, 1883 and Lioness.
His Sons of Anarchy exit came after a pay dispute on someone else’s show. His later acting roles have largely come inside shows he helped create, write or produce.
Sheridan told Stern that the people who held power were the ones telling the stories. After leaving Sons of Anarchy, he started writing them himself.