Disclaimer: This article contains opinions on the female characters in Yellowstone and Landman.
Taylor Sheridan is known for creating strong female characters. His projects often feature complex women like Beth Dutton from Yellowstone and Angela Norris from Landman. He portrays women with strength and sensitivity, thereby showing their many facets.
Sheridan breathes life into these characters by exploring their personal lives and motivations. He gives them a voice in stories that often focus on larger-than-life male figures who might not be alluring, as in Yellowstone.
Sheridan's female characters stand out because they are powerful and shaped by their environment and relationships, much like their male counterparts.
Taylor Sheridan’s approach to female complexity in Yellowstone's Beth Dutton
One of Sheridan's most iconic female faces has been Kelly Reilly's Beth Dutton. Over and above a character who has come to define strength, Beth is a high-powered executive with a chaotic emotional landscape.
Fans of Yellowstone know that Beth is driven by personal trauma and fierce love for her family. All three things about her (a short temper, unhappy life, and fatherly relationship with John Dutton) show all her weaknesses and deepen her character.
“What makes Beth Dutton so compelling is her unapologetic nature, her will to fight, and her tragic sense of family loyalty,” said Reilly in an interview with FandomWire.
Sheridan understands more about how women think than most men do, which helps him explain how someone like Beth in Yellowstone can also turn pain into strength. And drive a car that makes everyone swoon!
She stays strong while trying to gain power, even when surrounded by tough and sometimes mean men. She shows emotional sensitivity and real toughness, which isn't common in many TV characters. This makes her very relatable and inspiring to most Yellowstone viewers.
Angela Norris in Landman is a radically empowered female character
In Landman, Taylor Sheridan introduces another captivating female character, portrayed by Ali Larter as the ex-wife Angela Norris. Angela is known for her vibrant and sometimes tempestuous personality. She showcases the depth and care Sheridan puts into his female characters.
Unlike Yellowstone's Beth, Angela is more defined by her actions, desires, and mistakes than her relationship with the main character, Tommy Norris (played by Billy Bob Thornton). Larter praised Sheridan for making Angela incredibly complex, noting to FandomWire that while she can be "feisty, a powerhouse, and all heart," she can also be fragile.
Beth Dutton deals with her pain through angry strength, while Angela experiences mixed emotions. On the surface, she appears to be a charming and amiable ex-wife, but deeper into her character, there are more serious aspects to her.
There was a moment when a gentle, loving touch revealed a softer side of Angela, suggesting that much can be accomplished through reassessment.
Taylor Sheridan’s female characters matter in modern TV shows and movies
Sheridan creates powerful female characters at a crucial time in the entertainment industry. In Hollywood, female characters are often written in simple, stereotypical ways. But Sheridan is part of a small group of filmmakers changing this.
Unlike Ridley Scott and Quentin Tarantino, Sheridan's female characters are more than just stereotypes. His women are strong but have flaws and depth in their actions and motivations. This approach, as seen by Entertainment Weekly, shows how many of his female characters might seem ordinary at first glance.
Yet, they are always allowed to grow and learn. Sheridan never portrays extras whose decisions are controlled by male characters; he draws them as individuals with real choices. This focus on authenticity and deep emotions sets Sheridan apart and makes him a significant voice in today's media for representing women.
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You can stream Yellowstone and Landman on Paramount+.
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