Tim McGraw Exits Netflix Bull Riding Show Due to Surgery: Report

Tim McGraw reportedly will no longer be the lead in Netflix’s upcoming bull riding drama.

McGraw, 57, was set to star in the upcoming series but stepped back after a tour-related injury, according to Deadline. The health issue resulted in orthopedic surgery on both knees, which was performed in August ahead of McGraw’s separate back surgery. As a result, McGraw opted not to appear in the physically demanding role in the scripted rodeo show.

The country singer was originally announced as the star — and executive producer — during Netflix’s upfront presentation in May 2024. Us Weekly has reached out for comment but so far McGraw and Netflix haven’t commented publicly on the future of the untitled project.

According to the synopsis, the show was set in the high-stakes world of bull riding and revolved around a champion rider “at a life-changing crossroads.” The character’s world is turned upside down by a “fearless young competitor who challenges his beliefs and uncovers buried secrets, forcing him to confront his past.”

McGraw is no stranger to appearing in front of the camera after skyrocketing to fame for his music. Over the years, McGraw has expanded into acting with roles in movies like Friday Night Lights, Tomorrowland, The Blind Side, Country Strong and more.

More recently, McGraw and wife Faith Hill shared the small screen on Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel 1883. McGraw, who exchanged vows with Hill, 57, in 1996, praised her for remaining by his side and helping him amid his sobriety journey.

“I don’t think I could stand up straight without leaning on her in everything that I do,” McGraw, 56, told Yahoo Music in August 2023. “It is not a linear path. There’s setbacks and there’s times you move forward and do great, and there’s times you set back.”

He continued: “And that’ll probably be a process throughout the rest of my life and something that I have to be diligent about and really continue to work at. And I think [my song ‘Hey Whiskey’] is helpful in that regard. It was very cathartic to me, in a lot of ways.”

McGraw recalled hitting rock bottom with his drinking before turning to his wife for help.

“I remember a moment when I was getting out of bed and going to the liquor cabinet and taking a big shot at 8:00 in the morning and thinking, ‘I have to wake the kids up,’” McGraw, who shares daughters Gracie, 27, Maggie, 26, and Audrey, 23, with Hill, told Esquire in 2021. “I went straight to my wife and said, ‘This is where I’m at.’ I was scared. She just grabbed me and hugged me and changed my life.”

McGraw said his outlook on love changed because of Hill, adding, “My wife always says, ‘You’re not scared of anything.’ I say, ‘Ehhh, one thing. I’m looking at it right now.’ I didn’t know love could feel so good. Was it an emotion? Was it a lifestyle? Was it an imaginary thing? But love is all of those things.”

He concluded: “Love is being angry. Love is not talking for a day. Love is getting in each other’s face. Love is accepting that I’m wrong. Love is a 360-degree thing. It’s not linear. They always say you’re not supposed to fight in front of your kids. Everybody fights in front of their kids. That’s part of the deal.”