Shea Brennan is a formidable presence on the prairie in "Yellowstone" prequel "1883."
But what about the man with the mustache who plays him, Sam Elliott?
Boasting an impressive cast — including Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw,
Faith Hill, Isabel May, and LaMonica Garrett — "1883" is the origin story of "Yellowstone,"
including how the Dutton family acquired the largest cattle ranch in the United States.
It's a tale that follows the 19th-century Duttons as they travel west on a wagon
train through harsh environmental conditions, encountering hostile enemies at every turn.
"What is 1883 gonna bring to the fans? What are they gonna get out of this show?"
"I think they're gonna get a really good, classic, period western."
Fans of the original "Yellowstone" series have been clamoring for more screen time
in the 1800s ever since the Season 4 premiere of "Yellowstone" featured a brief glimpse of Tim
McGraw's James Dutton negotiating with a tribe of Native Americans regarding the family's ranchland.
"I'm not the one that took it from you."
"Doesn't matter – still got took."
"You here to try to take it back?"
While plenty of country music fans are probably excited to learn more about the
patriarch and the matriarch of the Dutton family as portrayed by McGraw and Hill,
the two country music stars are far from the only recognizable faces in the upcoming series.
Leading the pack is Elliott as hardened cowboy Shea Brennan, who never rides without his trusted
partner, Thomas. The two have formed a strong bond, both onscreen and off. What's it really like
working alongside a living legend like Elliott? During a recent roundtable interview that included
Looper, Garrett confirmed what we suspected all along about the seasoned "1883" star.
"You comin'?"
"I'm thinkin' about it.
Speaking about his "1883" co-star, LaMonica Garrett said,
"Sam's a great dude. He embraced me from the first time that we met,
and he calms the nerves of everyone that he comes in contact with."
Garrett points to Elliott's "steadiness and work ethic" as part of what makes "1883" must-see-TV;
as Garrett put it, Elliot is the first one there, and the last one to leave. He also added, quote,
"He's inspiring to watch. He's a great person and a great actor."
"Y'all just sit up there and watch."
"You look like you had it figured."
Even fellow actors like Garrett get starstruck on set sometimes
by just being in the presence of Elliott, who has previously starred
in such Westerns as "The Quick and the Dead," "Tombstone," and "Justified," among others.
During the interview, Garrett shared that he sometimes gets caught up in watching Elliott work
when he's sharing a scene with him. Previewing a scene in the third episode of "1883," he shared,
"There is a scene coming up in episode three of '1883' where he gun-butts one
of the immigrants. I had the next line, and there was some action that was about to happen,
and I caught myself looking at him like, 'Wow, that's how Virgil gun-butted Ike in 'Tombstone.'
It was the same motion, and I was like, 'Snap back into reality! It's time to work right now.'"
And fortunately, everything seems to indicate that Garrett's
strong feelings of admiration for Elliott are entirely mutual. In a recent interview,
Elliott also praises his co-star and on-screen partner. In fact, Elliott has only good things
to say about the process of developing the bond between the two characters. Elliott says, quote,
"It feels totally natural to me," referring to his and Garrett's characters as "brothers in arms."
The "Road House" star also notes that he thinks Thomas
and Shea's close friendship could have potentially been more difficult to sell,
given the racial politics of the time period in which the series is set. He said,
"It speaks volumes about both of these characters that are traveling with him.
A guy from a totally different race in a period of time when you would think that,
'I don't know about that. I'm not sure I believe that.’ But
that relationship ... LaMonica's one of my favorite elements of this entire thing."
Elliott recalled of working with Garrett,
"When I get with LaMonica and I look at those eyes and I look at that mass
that is underneath that hat of his and listen to that voice, he's rock solid.
He's always rock solid in every bit of this stuff. I just love working with the man."
"Good shot."
"Yep."
Check out one of our newest videos right here! Plus, even more Looper videos about "Yellowstone"
are coming soon. Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.