Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 is one of the most popular Western prequel series and a fitting series that takes place before the events of Yellowstone. The prequel stories told the story of why the Dutton family decided to settle in Montana. The series features Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in the roles of James Dutton and Margaret Dutton in the lead role, and they travel from Tennessee to Fort Worth, Texas to start a new life.
The TV Series features a star-studded cast in its first season, but shooting the series has been a task in itself. Sam Elliot, who portrays the role of Shea Brennan, shared how Taylor Sheridan made his life hell, as he shared his primary concern when he first read the script of the prequel series.
Shea Brennan Expressed His Concern To Taylor Sheridan Upon Reading The Script of Yellowstone’s Prequel
Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 revolves around the struggles of the ancestors of Yellowstone’s Dutton family. The show has effortlessly captivated the audiences as it features a rich and captivating story, with some historical inaccuracies that have been ignored by its viewers for the most part.
But what made the show truly captivating was how it dedicatedly showcased the harsh realities once faced by the pioneers of the Dutton family. While some viewers believed that the actors would be comfortable shooting in an indoor set, that was not the case because Taylor Sheridan would shoot a majority of the scenes outside.
Sam Elliott expressed his concern about the physicality of his character when he first read the script. During an episode of the Yellowstone podcast, he mentioned how he was flabbergasted because his character was described as “45 years old.” The problem? Elliott is 79 years old, 2 years younger than Harrison Ford. He said,
I wondered a few times, I wondered if I was up to the physicality of this thing when I started. I read the script, Taylor’s character description, and it was 45 years old. I said ‘Hey, Taylor, man. I’m almost twice that age. Well, not quite, but I’m way too old for this thing’.
Sam Elliott recalled that Taylor Sheridan was not listening to his excuses and ensured that Elliott would hate him by the end of the series.
He added,
He said, ‘nah, I write everybody at 45.’ I said, ‘bulls**t.’ One thing he promised when we started this thing is you’re gonna hate me by the end of this show’ and he was talking about the elements.
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Nevertheless, Elliott also discussed how he realized life was harsh back in the 19th Century, as he gives details on the weather conditions when they were working out in the brutal working conditions.
Sam Elliott Opens Up About The Critical Weather Conditions of 1883
One of the significant reasons that 1883 became immensely popular among the fans of the series is due to its authentic feature of the harsh and unpredictable weather conditions faced by the characters in the prequel. The show relentlessly featured conditions such as scorching heat, rain, and freezing cold that the characters had to endure to survive life as a frontier.
Sam Elliott opens up that the conditions were hellish as he talks more about it in the same episode of the Yellowstone podcast. He mentioned how it was somewhere around “108 degrees” in Fort Worth when they first started the shoot and they had to wear “wolves’ jackets.“ He said,
I think the hell of it is just dealing with the elements, more than anything. There were times when it was like 108 degrees down there in Fort Worth when we first started. We were out in the sun all day long, we were wearing wolves’ jackets. The immigrants were wearing layers and layers of wool clothes.
However, that was merely the beginning because the final cut was full of hardships for them. He continued that when they went to Montana it was “f**king freezing cold,“ which made him think “Am I gonna die on this trail?“
Elliott added,
Then we go up to Montana and it’s f*cking freezing cold. I mean cold… And I don’t have a lot of clothes on, I’m wearing, like, a pair of pants and a jacket for most of the thing. And a vest and a shirt.
We got layered up out there, of course. But there were times when it rains just enough to get wet, and then it started to ice up. I just remember thinking ‘What the f**k, man? Am I gonna die on this trail?’
Nevertheless, such dedication to making the series has made the prequel series, a fan-favorite series, that viewers would often go back from time to time as they could not get enough of Taylor Sheridan’s brilliant cinematographic vision.