Behind-the-scenes details from the hit series Marshals continue to attract attention, particularly as the show’s stars open up about what it is like to work within the creative world established by Taylor Sheridan. Known for creating a string of successful television projects, Sheridan has developed a reputation for being direct, demanding, and uninterested in unnecessary pleasantries during production. Rather than surrounding actors with excessive explanations or diplomatic language, he is known for getting straight to the heart of what he wants from a scene. For Ash Santos, that distinctive approach has become one of the qualities she values most about working with him. According to Santos, Sheridan is not simply a powerful figure behind the projects he creates; he can also be a genuine asset to the actors who are trying to understand and deliver his vision.

Santos, 33, is one of the stars of Marshals, the CBS spinoff that follows Kayce Dutton, played by Luke Grimes, as the character enters a new chapter in the world originally created for Yellowstone. Before joining Marshals, Santos had already hoped for an opportunity to appear in one of Sheridan’s productions, describing the possibility as a “big dream of mine.” Her connection with Sheridan actually began before she auditioned for the spinoff. She first encountered him professionally while testing for another project he was involved with. Although they had previously spoken only by phone, their relationship changed when Sheridan personally contacted her while she was auditioning for a role on Mayor of Kingstown. He called to explain what he wanted to see in her audition, giving her a clearer understanding of how he envisioned the character and performance.

Santos eventually met Sheridan in person the following summer, about a month before she tested for Marshals. That meeting reinforced the impression she had already developed through their conversations. What stood out to her was Sheridan’s background as an actor and the way that experience appears to influence how he communicates with performers. Santos explained that because Sheridan had once been an actor himself, he understands the process actors go through when they are preparing for a role and trying to find the emotional truth of a scene. Rather than approaching actors only as people responsible for delivering predetermined lines, he understands the uncertainty, preparation, and interpretation that can go into a performance. For Santos, that understanding makes his guidance particularly useful, because he knows how to communicate what he wants without overwhelming an actor with unnecessary information.

That directness is one of the qualities Santos appreciates most about Sheridan. She says he keeps things “very real” and has little interest in wasting time on what she describes as the “bulls—.” His communication style is straightforward: he tells an actor what he is looking for and explains why he wants it. Instead of offering vague instructions, Sheridan can reduce a complicated performance question to a simple, precise direction that immediately gives the actor something tangible to work with. Santos recalled his approach as essentially being, “Okay, this is what I’m trying to see. This is why.” While his manner may be blunt, she sees that honesty as beneficial rather than intimidating. His ability to cut through unnecessary discussion allows actors to focus quickly on the emotional and dramatic purpose of the scene.

Santos is not the only performer to praise Sheridan’s ability to work with actors in this way. Other stars who have collaborated with the prolific writer and producer have also spoken about his talent for helping performers find their way into difficult or complex material. Nicole Kidman, for example, once referred to Sheridan as “an incredible acting coach.” She explained that even a single conversation with him could provide her with only a few words of direction while still completely clarifying how she should approach a scene. That kind of concise guidance reflects the same quality Santos describes: Sheridan does not necessarily need a lengthy explanation to communicate an idea. His experience as an actor and writer allows him to identify what matters most and deliver that information directly, giving performers a focused starting point without taking away their ability to interpret the material themselves.

Landman star Ali Larter has similarly described Sheridan as a “provocateur,” emphasizing his ability to create characters and stories that make audiences react emotionally. According to Larter, Sheridan enjoys writing characters who provoke a response and initiate a feeling in viewers, whether that reaction is admiration, discomfort, curiosity, or something more complicated. She has also praised the originality and authenticity that define many of his productions, noting that the shows Sheridan creates tend to have identities of their own rather than feeling interchangeable. That perspective helps explain why actors such as Santos are drawn to his projects. Sheridan’s productions often give performers unusual, complicated characters to explore, while his straightforward communication provides them with a clear sense of the emotional direction he wants them to pursue.

Although Sheridan remains the creative force behind the larger world of Marshals, Santos points out that his involvement with the spinoff is not quite the same as it is with projects such as Lioness or Landman. Marshals is a true spinoff created by Spencer Hudnut, who developed the series from the universe Sheridan established with Yellowstone. Santos says it has been “fun” to watch Hudnut take control of that world and shape it into something that carries its own identity. According to her, the idea for the series was Hudnut’s, and he pitched it to Sheridan before moving forward. Santos is particularly impressed that Hudnut has been able to take characters and a universe originally created by someone else and transform them into a successful series of his own. She believes that accomplishment says a great deal about Hudnut’s talent and creative judgment.

For Santos, Hudnut’s success is especially meaningful because expanding an established television universe is far from easy. Taking characters created by another writer and making them feel natural within a new story requires balancing familiarity with originality, something she believes Hudnut has accomplished remarkably well during the first season of Marshals. At the same time, her own experience with Sheridan has given her a deeper appreciation for the creative environment surrounding the franchise. She values his ability to communicate directly, his understanding of the actor’s process, and his willingness to focus on what matters most in a performance. While Sheridan may not be as deeply involved in Marshals as he is in some of his other productions, the influence of the world he created remains central to the series. With Season 2 scheduled to premiere on CBS on Oct. 4 and Season 1 currently streaming on Paramount+, Santos’ comments offer an inside look at the collaborative process behind a show that continues to build on Sheridan’s television legacy while allowing Spencer Hudnut and its cast to establish a distinct identity of their own.