Taylor Sheridan Appeared In A Fan-Favorite Fox Teen Drama And Its Spin-Off

Taylor Sheridan is the writer and co-creator responsible for some of the best modern Westerns, but he actually started in the entertainment biz as an actor, and continues to act to this day (frequently inside of his own intellectual property). Long before Sheridan had a long list of shows to rank, he appeared in a fan-favorite Fox teen drama (and its spin-off). 

Premiering on Fox in 1994, "Party of Five" followed a group of five siblings forced to band together after the unexpected deaths of their parents. It starred an impressive cast of talent, including Matthew Fox, Scott Wolf, Neve Campbell, Lacey Chabert, and Jennifer Love Hewitt. Although Sheridan was never a main or even recurring character, he appeared in one episode of the teen drama early in his career.

Titled "Haunted," the Season 5 episode centered on various romantic and interpersonal challenges among the central characters, but if you were hoping that Sheridan played a substantial part in the ep, you'll end up disappointed. He had a relatively tiny part to play, as he was simply credited as "counterguy." A short while later, he also appeared in an episode of the show's spin-off, "Time of Your Life," which starred Jennifer Love Hewitt.

By the time Taylor Sheridan appeared on "Party of Five," he'd accrued only a few other acting credits, so playing "counterguy" may not have felt small at the time. Either way, he returned to the "Party of Five" universe when he appeared in its spin-off, "Time of Your Life," which followed Jennifer Love Hewitt's character, Sarah. Sarah had found out she was adopted during the OG series, so in the spin-off, she embarked on a new life in New York to connect with her birth father. Sheridan played a character named Connor in the episode "The Time They Decided to Date."

Unlike "Party of Five," which ran for six seasons, "Time of Your Life" lasted only one season. Still, it was much longer than Hewitt was originally supposed to be involved in the franchise. On "Party of Five," she was originally hired for only a few episodes, but she won over everyone, including the audience, so they brought her back. "Sarah was supposed to be in nine episodes," Hewitt said in a 2000 interview (via E! News). "When it got picked up, they asked me to stay on for another 13, and I thought it was only going to be 13, and then they asked me to do another season so it keeps going and going. I am so incredibly grateful for it."