Planes, Saddles and Automobiles.
Thomas Haden Church initially embarked on his acting journey playing the endearing aircraft mechanic Lowell Mather in the cherished ’90s NBC sitcom “Wings”. In season two of Netflix’s comedy “Tires”, he takes on the role of Phil, who subtly commands the grease monkeys, even his on-screen son Shane Gillis.
Church enjoys discussing his experience with handling a socket wrench from both sides, but he truly finds joy in sharing the number of cattle on his Texas ranch. To be honest, I mainly intended to discuss the movie “Tombstone” (1993) with you.
Church is content discussing the two-sided use of a socket wrench, but he’s absolutely thrilled when talking about the cattle count on his Texas ranch. In reality, I was hoping to chat about the 1993 film “Tombstone”.
Or, for a more conversational tone:
Church can talk about using a socket wrench from both ends, but he’s really excited when sharing how many cattle are on his Texas ranch. To be clear though, I was hoping we could talk about the classic 1993 film “Tombstone”.
How aware of Tires season one were you?
I didn’t have any involvement at all. However, I had a connection with an executive at Danny McBride’s production company, Rough House Pictures, which also produced Tires, around three years ago due to another project they were considering that my partner and I had written. This executive is named Brandon James. He reached out to me, probably in early September, as I was in London all last summer shooting a film for Netflix. Brandon suggested that they were starting the second season of Tires and asked if I would be interested in playing Shane Gillis’ father.
I recognized Shane, found him highly amusing, and when given some scripts to watch and evaluate the show, I did so with enthusiasm. The chemistry appealed to me immensely. Subsequently, I had an excellent initial meeting with John McKeever and Steve Gerben, who are among the creators of the show alongside Shane. They expressed their desire for my involvement in the project, saying they wanted to develop the character of Phil specifically for me, rather than simply having me play the role. This was a testament to their collaborative approach. I arrived early and actively contributed ideas during script meetings, eventually fitting seamlessly into the creative process.
In the second season, I found myself stepping into the role of Shane’s father, Phil. People often comment on my stylish attire and overall appearance, and it seems that I have enough resources to purchase Valley Forge Automotive, ensuring employment for my son and nephew. However, I wonder, just how wealthy is Phil really?
He possesses a wealth that allows him to simply appear and state, “I wish to establish six mattress retail outlets, and I’d like you to oversee them.” That’s the kind of influential person he is.
What was your response when you found out Tires shoots in Westchester, Pennsylvania?
Experiencing it was undeniably a significant draw. For three seasons, I starred in “Divorce” produced by HBO, yet it seemed like much more than that. During those three years, I resided in New York, and I swore never to partake in another TV series set in New York. However, now that I’ve voiced my intention, it’s no longer a secret. Consequently, I anticipate receiving offers for a series based in New York.
For twelve years, I resided in Los Angeles, during which I completed two television shows in New York City. Shortly thereafter, I relocated to Texas and have been a permanent resident for the past twenty-four years. I sold my L.A. home around 2001 or 2002, and since then, I haven’t looked back.
You went back home.
Absolutely. Upon my very first sunrise in Los Angeles, I experienced a 6.0 earthquake, and I thought to myself, “This city isn’t for me.” Soon after I began earning and accumulating funds, I swiftly purchased a house in Texas. I had a dwelling in Austin during the ’90s, which I later sold and replaced with my ranch – we reside approximately an hour from San Antonio, while my ranch is roughly 90 minutes away, more or less.
Ever since my childhood days of deer hunting with my father, the nostalgia hit me hard when my brother, an attorney in Dallas, asked if I’d ever consider returning to the hunt. My immediate response was a resounding “Yes!”, and he followed up by suggesting we find a place for it. And so, 35 years ago, we discovered a ranch perfect for our hunting adventures, just 20 miles from where I am now.
Reconnecting with my passion for hunting sparked a lifelong dream of mine – to own and operate a genuine cattle ranch. For the past 26 years, I’ve had the privilege of living that dream. As time has passed, I’ve scaled down slightly due to my advancing age, but even so, around a decade ago, we were managing approximately 400 head of livestock – not a massive operation by any means, but large enough for us to turn a profit.
As a devoted fan, I can’t help but admire your authenticity, reminiscent of Billy Clanton’s character in Tombstone. The leap from ’90s TV to where you are now wasn’t an easy ride, especially for the actor who portrayed Lowell. I’m curious, could you share the story behind this remarkable transition?
In the spring of ’93, popular television shows such as “Northern Exposure,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Wings,” and “China Beach” ruled the airwaves. When it came to casting for “Tombstone,” Disney executives requested that some TV actors be included. As a result, they brought on John Corbett from “Northern Exposure,” Jason Priestley from “Beverly Hills, 90210,” the actor from “Wings” (which is me), and Dana Delany from “China Beach.” This was my entry into my first film.
Initially, I claimed that “Tombstone” was my debut film, but prior to that, I had already worked on a television movie. However, this wasn’t intended to be a TV movie; it just turned out that way. While working on the project, I built a great rapport with Sam. We were shooting one evening when I unexpectedly met Kevin Jarre, the “Tombstone” screenwriter, and George P. Cosmatos, the director, for a simple discussion. This wasn’t an audition; we just chatted about the Civil War due to my fondness for the movie “Glory,” which he penned, and the Old West because of my interest in its history. I then had to return to Palm Springs where we were filming the TV movie. That night, while engaged in some night shooting, Sam and I were standing there, and Sam said, “Maybe you’ll ride a horse.” I didn’t understand at first. He repeated, “Maybe you’ll ride a horse.” “Oh, I get it now,” I realized. (In the voice of Sam Elliott) “Congratulations, Thomas, you truly deserve it.” Essentially, Sam was informing me that I had been cast in “Tombstone”.
During my time, I had the unique experience of learning cowboy skills on horseback with Sam Elliott as my guide. He introduced me to a wrangler acquaintance who resided in the desert, and whenever I had free moments during filming, I would join this wrangler for trail rides. Following the completion of that project, Sam arranged for me to work temporarily as a cowboy on his friend’s large ranch in West Texas, where they were carrying out their spring roundup (marking calves). After spending a month working there, I returned to Dallas and flew straight to Tucson to start filming Tombstone. By the time we began production, I was quite proficient in the saddle, although unfortunately, there wasn’t much riding involved in the movie, which was slightly frustrating for me as cowboys.
This conversation has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
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2025-06-11 21:26