Sheriff Country's W. Earl Brown Starred In A HBO Drama That Was Canceled Too Soon

W. Earl Brown has a pivotal role on "Sheriff Country" as Mickey Fox's (Morena Baccarin) marijuana-farming father Wes Fox, but he's actually best known for appearing on HBO's revered Western TV show over two decades ago. "Deadwood" aired just three seasons from 2004 to 2006, though its fleshed-out world and characters made it a hit among critics.

A prominent member of the drama's main cast, Brown played Dan Dority in every episode of "Deadwood." The character was a saloon barkeeper and right-hand man to Al Swearengen (Ian McShane), frequently getting involved in the South Dakota town's violent conflicts. Dan emerged as a fan-favorite character over the course of the series, and Brown's performance earned praise from viewers despite the actor not landing any major award nominations.

Overwhelming acclaim from critics and general audiences wasn't enough to keep the drama running beyond a third season, as HBO canceled "Deadwood" due to creative disagreements between the network and creator David Milch regarding the number of episodes Season 4 would have. Brown reprised his role in the 2019 follow-up film "Deadwood: The Movie," which received positive reviews. But even though "Deadwood" eventually wrapped up its story, some fans remain disappointed that the show didn't last longer.

HBO's cancellation of "Deadwood" was obviously a huge disappointment for those who took part in the show, Brown included. In an interview with SlashFilm around the release of "Deadwood: The Movie" in 2019, Brown described how he felt in the years after "Deadwood" reached its premature end and before the film became a reality.

Brown initially hoped "Deadwood" would return, but each opportunity for the movie failed to yield anything productive. When the project finally came together and started filming in 2018, Brown was beyond thrilled. "I gave up beating the dead horse after a few years. At first I couldn't believe it and I couldn't accept it," he told the outlet. "I was the one trying to keep track of who was doing what so that when the time came, I'd know everybody's availability and everybody's place. It took me a few years to let go of that... So it was such a pleasant surprise a few years ago when the wheels started to turn again and I said, 'Hey, dead horses can kick their way out of a grave.'"

Brown will soon be back on TV screens when "Sheriff Country" Season 2 premieres on CBS this fall. But in the meantime, it wouldn't be a bad idea to discover the actor's standout performance as the fierce enforcer Dan Dority in "Deadwood."