1923 star Jennifer Carpenter heaps praise on the show’s creator, Taylor Sheridan, and explains what makes his work stand out. Carpenter, who rose to prominence playing the role of Debra Morgan on Showtime’s crime drama Dexter, guest stars in a recurring role as Marshall Marnie Fossett in 1923 season 2. The acclaimed Yellowstone prequel series stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, and follows an earlier generation of the Dutton family as they grapple with Prohibition, drought, and the Great Depression.
In an interview with ScreenRant, Carpenter spoke positively about her experience working on 1923 and praised Sheridan as a creative force, discussing how his shows have something that many other productions lack. She complimented the story of 1923, calling it “beautiful” before emphasizing how much it meant to her. Check out Carpenter’s comments below:
I’ll say that, as a viewer, I had the absolute privilege of watching the finale months after we had shot. Even knowing what was going to happen, I was still a leaf in Taylor’s current. It just moved me wherever it chose to, and I went willingly. It was the most satisfying viewing experience I’ve had in years.
Not only is it a beautiful story to watch, not only does it look like they’re spoiling you rotten with every single dollar being put on your television screen, but it opened up a conversation within myself about, “Is this how my ancestors moved when they did this, that, or the other? Is this how hard they fought for this simple pleasure, or this simple earthly convenience?” It really helped me collect myself in a way that I hadn’t expected.
I watch everything he does. I think that he’s reconnecting audiences to what it used to mean to tell stories on the viewer’s behalf. Even when I was in acting conservatory at 18 years old, it was always about the audience, and it feels like that again. It’s not about A plus B equals C, and now we can drag all of our credits up the screen. He’s earning every minute of your time, and that says a lot too, because it takes a lot to leave your family and dedicate yourself to something wholeheartedly.
Not a second of my time – or hopefully yours – is wasted with this show. I can’t tell you how much this job meant to me. It reinvigorated me in so many ways. It brought me back to life as an artist.
What These Comments Mean For 1923 & Other Sheridan Shows
Sheridan’s Ability To Attract Big Stars Helps Ensure Success
Carpenter’s comments show the appeal that Sheridan has as a creative. The fact that his writing can take performers to unexpected places explains why he has managed to have such a successful career to date. Since his screenwriting debut with Denis Villeneuve’s crime-thriller Sicario, he has gone on to pen the movies Hell or High Water and Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and directed Wind River and Those Who Wish Me Dead. Additionally, he has created several successful shows for Paramount+, including 1923, 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, and Sylvester Stallone’s crime drama Tulsa King.
These carefully constructed shows have illustrated the abilities of Sheridan as a writer, and how he is able to connect with viewers as well as actors. Carpenter’s comments also go a long way toward explaining why Sheridan’s shows are able to attract big-name talent, with Jeremy Renner, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Costner, and Tim McGraw among the other actors to appear in his shows. This helps to ensure that all Sheridan shows have excellent quality in every facet, and makes for more engrossing television moving forward.
Our Take On Future Sheridan Shows
Paramount+’s Crown Jewel Is Showing Little Sign Of Slowing Down
Sheridan is the crown jewel for Paramount+ right now, and no less than seven of his shows are available on the service, including the recently renewed Landman. It is clear that Sheridan has a writing style and a way of developing shows that resonate with both audiences and performers, and, as long as this remains the case, his shows should continue to do well. For her part, Carpenter has clearly enjoyed her time on 1923, and her comments suggest she’d be open to working with Sheridan again in the future.