Before becoming one of television’s most influential creators, Taylor Sheridan spent years building a career as an actor. Long before Yellowstone, 1883, Tulsa King, and his growing television empire made him a household name, Sheridan appeared in numerous television shows, often portraying law enforcement officers, military personnel, and authority figures.
While many fans remember his roles in Sons of Anarchy and Veronica Mars, one appearance that often slips under the radar is his brief role within the NCIS universe.
In 2011, Sheridan appeared in an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles titled “Enemy Within.” He portrayed Navy Captain Jennings, a military officer who becomes involved in a high-stakes investigation surrounding an alleged assassination plot tied to a Venezuelan political figure. Although the role was relatively small, it marked one of the final acting appearances of Sheridan’s career before he shifted his focus toward writing and producing.
At the time, few could have predicted that the actor appearing in a guest role on NCIS: Los Angeles would later become the creative force behind some of television’s biggest hits. After years of acting in supporting roles, Sheridan found enormous success as a screenwriter with acclaimed projects such as Sicario and Hell or High Water. That success eventually opened the door to Yellowstone, a series that transformed him into one of the entertainment industry’s most powerful storytellers.
Looking back at Sheridan’s acting career reveals an interesting pattern. Throughout the late 1990s and 2000s, he frequently portrayed police officers, soldiers, deputies, and other authority figures. Whether it was Deputy David Hale on Sons of Anarchy or Captain Jennings on NCIS: Los Angeles, he often found himself cast in roles that reflected leadership, discipline, and duty.
Today, Sheridan is far better known for creating characters than playing them. However, he has occasionally returned to the screen, most notably as horse trader Travis Wheatley in Yellowstone. The role allowed him to combine his passion for ranching and Western culture with the franchise he built from the ground up.
For longtime NCIS fans, Sheridan’s appearance as Captain Jennings serves as a fascinating reminder of how unpredictable Hollywood careers can be. What was once a brief guest appearance on a popular crime drama now stands as a small chapter in the story of a man who would go on to reshape modern television with an entire universe of hit shows.