Ed Harris Returning To ‘Dutton Ranch’ For Season 2 After Character Arc Frustrations & Showrunner Change
Actor Ed Harris is returning for the second season of the Paramount+ series Dutton Ranch. This confirmation follows a difficult experience during the first season where the actor considered leaving the project. Harris openly shared that he felt misled regarding his character's involvement and screen time, noting that he was originally promised one of the four lead roles. The frustrations peaked when a scene featuring him singing was removed from the final edit, which led him to voice his dissatisfaction directly to the production team.
Changes behind the scenes appear to have swayed his decision to stay. The departure of showrunner Chad Feehan was tied significantly to these concerns about character development. Harris reportedly had input in selecting his replacement, Benjamin Cavell, who previously created SEAL Team. The production is currently rewriting the story for the second season, with sources confirming that the character Everett McKinney will play a much larger role moving forward.
Harris holds a two-year contract for the series with an option for a third year. Although he initially viewed his own work in the first season as sufficient, the day-to-day experience of filming failed to meet his expectations. With the new leadership in place, the production team is working to keep the actor involved and satisfied with his creative arc. Production for the upcoming season is scheduled to begin in mid-January.