Two new characters with major impact on Alexandra’s (Julia Schlaepfer) journey west made their 1923 debuts in Season 2 Episode 5, which came out on Sunday, March 23, on Paramount+. Alex befriended British passengers Hillary and Paul as she worked for meals on her train to Chicago, where she was then supposed to transfer to a train bound for Fargo. When that trip was canceled due to a snowdrift, Hillary and Paul offered Alex shelter and comfort in their Winnetka, Illinois home. It was a lucky break after the devastating sexual assault Alex endured from an American train passenger, an ordeal that would’ve gotten Alex arrested for assault had it not been for Hillary and Paul vouching that her actions were in self-defense. (Alex poured a pot of scalding-hot coffee on her attacker’s lap and beat him with the metal carafe in retaliation.)
Janet Montgomery and Augustus Prew play the English couple. Their characters are charming, kindhearted, and clearly willing to help someone in need. We don’t yet know how the pair wound up living in Winnetka, but Paul assured Alex that it feels a lot more like her hometown of Oxfordshire than Chicago would.
Montgomery should look familiar to viewers — she’s been in a handful of hit shows since the early 2000s. Here’s everything you should know about her resume.
Who is Janet Montgomery?
Montgomery’s first role was in the hit U.K. series Skins. She played Beth, Nicholas Hoult‘s love interest, in a 2008 episode.
A trained dancer, one of the British actor’s major film roles was Madeline in 2010’s Black Swan. She appeared in one episode of The League, 11 episodes of Entourage (as E’s assistant and Drama’s girlfriend), and was a series regular on Fox’s Human Target. She was the star of the short-lived CBS series Made in Jersey and played Freda Dudley Ward in one episode of Downton Abbey.
Viewers might most recognize her as Olivia Maine from NBC‘s This Is Us Season 1 and New Amsterdam‘s Dr. Lauren Bloom. Olivia was Kevin Pearson’s (Justin Hartley) scene partner-turned-brief romantic fling. Lauren was the head of the Emergency Department at the New Amsterdam Medical Center in the NBC medical drama.
Montgomery shared behind-the-scenes photos from her time on 1923 on March 23 when her debut episode premiered.
“Meet Hillary. This was one of those jobs I let out a little wail when I heard I had booked it. One of my favorites to date,” Montgomery captioned her Instagram post. “The whole 1923 family welcomed @augustusprew (my husband Paul) and myself into its warm embrace and I cultivated relationships and connections I will cherish my whole life. I absolutely love my job, the incredible experiences it gives me and the chance to connect with other creatives who inspire me. What a summer. What an adventure we got to go on! Endlessly grateful and of course hope you all DIG the delectable Hillary!”
Schlaepfer commented on her post saying, “An icon.”
Prew, known for roles in Players, Nolly, The Rings of Power, Search Party, The Morning Show, Special, Prison Break, Pure Genius, BBC’s The Village, The Borgias, and more, also shared photos from the episode on Instagram to commemorate its release.
“Come on an adventure with Paul, Hillary, and Alexandra on @1923official, streaming RIGHT NOW on @paramountplus!” he wrote. “Shout out to my girls @juliaschlaepfer, my beloved tv wife @janeymontgomery, and my boy @brandonsklenar for the dreamiest summer shooting this gem of a show!”
When is the next episode of 1923?
View this post on Instagram
1923 Season 2 Episode 6 is titled “The Mountain Teeth of Monsters.” It comes out on Sunday, March 30, only on Paramount+. In it, Alex catches a lucky break during her journey, and Teonna (Aminah Nieves) reunites with a face from her past. Are Hillary and Paul that stroke of luck?
1923 Season 2 has eight episodes total.
1923, Sundays, Paramount+