Taylor Sheridan is best known as the mastermind behind Western drama Yellowstone and his most recent project is working as the co-creator of Mayor of Kingstown with Hugh Dillon. Following the success of series one on Paramount+, the prison drama has returned for new episodes, once again following the powerful McLuskey family. But plans for Mayor of Kingstown were in the works years prior to it reaching the small screen.
WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Mayor of Kingstown.
In his younger years, actor and musician Hugh Dillon was earning money by playing his own songs on the streets of London.
He moved back to Canada, this time not to his hometown of Kingstown but to Toronto.
For several years, he worked at a hospital, playing music to sick children before getting a record deal and becoming the lead singer of the rock band Headstones.
Dillon was determined to then further his acting career and so moved to Los Angeles, where he would meet his acting coach and future writing partner, Taylor Sheridan.
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Speaking to Express.co.uk, the 59-year-old stated Sheridan had “changed my life”.
During this time when he was taking Sheridan’s class, Dillon opened up about his idea for Mayor of Kingstown and went on to spend years discussing the plot.
He said: “He [Sheridan] was fascinated with the darkness and the prison system and he asked me a million questions as I’m from that town.
“We just got into it and instead of me doing my homework for the day, we would get lost in a conversation of creating this world and we did that for 10 years until we sold it.”
Dillon added: “Taylor [Sheridan] and I had it for 10 years and I had been thinking of this movie or show or variation of it for 30 years and to have it come to fruition…
“It was a profound sense of satisfaction to have never given up and to have Taylor Sheridan believe in me.”
The first season of Mayor of Kingstown made its debut on Paramount+ in November 2021.
The drama was quickly renewed for a second series which started on the streaming service last week.
This post is originally appeared on Express UK