Tim McGraw’s acting chops are really going to be tested by this upcoming role.
To be clear, the country music star isn’t a stranger to starring in TV shows and movies. McGraw has been a part of Four Christmases, Tomorrowland, The Blind Side, and Friday Night Lights. Most notably, he played James Dutton in the Yellowstone prequel series 1883.
That’s where McGraw was really able to show off his acting prowess, and because of opportunities like that, he’s now getting to take on another major role in an upcoming Hulu drama.
Director and executive producer Reinaldo Marcus Green is bringing together quite the cast for a new dramatic series titled Southern Bastards. Erin Kellyman, Kevin Bacon and Tim McGraw are set to tell a story about a southern crime ring unraveling.
The TV show will tell a story that’s already been laid out through a graphic novel, as Deadline explained:
“Based on the award-winning graphic novel series by Jason Aaron & Jason Latour, who serve as exec producers, ‘Southern Bastards’ follows a tenacious military vet into Craw County, Alabama, in search of her estranged father. What she finds is a murderous hornet’s nest of organized crime run by the winningest high school football coach in the South.”
That “winningest high school football coach in the South” will be the role fulfilled by Tim McGraw.
The country music singer will play a character named “Coach Boss,” who just so happens to the legendary head coach of the fictional Craw County High School football team. In somewhat of a Breaking Bad role, McGraw’s character leads a double life.
On one hand, Coach Boss is a leader of his Alabama community. The team and the town at large look up to him, but little do they know, he has a dark side. Hiding behind his legacy and the football culture of the south, McGraw’s character is actually the head of an organized crime ring that stretches beyond the footprint of Craw County. And he’ll do anything to protect both of the lives that he leads.
As I said earlier, this role is sure to test McGraw, who has over 49 No. 1 single and 19 No. 1 albums in his country music career. However, if he can handle the weight of a Yellowstone-spinoff on his back, I’d be willing to bet he’ll somehow find himself very comfortable in this complex character.
In fact… this TV show sounds like something that would be right in Taylor Sheridan’s wheelhouse. So if Tim McGraw has already managed to shine in a role created by the man who brought Yellowstone to life, he’ll surely be able to handle this head coach-crime boss character.
An official release date for the series has not been announced, but the pilot was picked up by Hulu in late 2025. There are rumors that production has started this month, which could lead to an early 2027 release. I don’t know about you… but now that I’ve heard the premise, and know who is attached to the project, I can’t wait to see Tim McGraw in Southern Bastards.
