‘1883’ Star Sam Elliott Reveals Major Change to 1 of the Series’ Most Emotional Scenes

The massive success of the Paramount+ series Yellowstone has led to two prequels that have also been well-received. In the first prequel, 1883, the Duttons are heading west through dangerous events and sweeping landscapes. Along the way, there was a moving scene between Shea (played by Sam Elliott) and Elsa (Isabel May). But according to Elliott, the scene was originally set up to start differently — and he never thought it would work. 

A moving scene between Shea and Elsa

1883 is the much-acclaimed prequel to Yellowstone. It follows the Dutton family as they travel west toward Oregon. Elliott plays Shea, a former soldier, and widower who is leading the expedition. One of the members of the party is Elsa, a 17-year-old who faces relentless loss on the journey. 

In this episode, after a man she loves is killed, Elsa is struggling with despair. Shea comes to her and shares a rare moment of vulnerability. He tells her about the death of his wife and how it’s affected him. 

The scene is emotional and intense, and viewers consider it one of the most powerful moments of the series. According to Elliott, it was initially written to begin in a different way. And he’s very glad it was changed. 

He was ‘a little perplexed’ by the scene at first

Elliott gave an interview with Variety, and he spoke about how the scene was set up. He arrived on set that day “expecting to do [the scene] as it was written.” According to the script, Shea was supposed to ride up to Elsa on his horse. “And I was always a little perplexed by that,” he said.

“How’re we gonna go where I want to go in that scene with him on a horse? He gets down off the horse, but then he has to get back up to ride out.” 

But fortunately, director Ben Richardson had another idea for him. “When I got there, Ben says ‘you’re going to walk in.’ And I just said, ‘good for you, man.’ That’s a great, great directorial change that he made because it allowed us to be close quickly.”

Not only did the new set-up for the scene boost the intimacy of the conversation, but it also had another, more practical benefit for Elliott. “It also allowed me not to have to mount up and ride out,” he explained with a laugh. “I don’t mount up on a horse like I did when I was a kid.”

‘1923’ is both a prequel and a sequel

1883 has reached the end of the trail, but the Yellowstone universe isn’t done expanding. Paramount+ has created 1923, a sequel to 1883, which makes it a prequel to the series that started it all. The new series is about another generation of the Duttons, with the heads of the family played by Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. 

In 1923, the Duttons were wrestling with a new batch of problems. They struggle to protect their home in Montana as they deal with drought, cattle theft, Prohibition, and the effects of economic devastation. It seems that the Duttons’ presence may be due to Elsa’s fate, a detail that is still emerging.

The second season of 1923 drops this month only on Paramount+. Viewers are eager to follow this chapter of the Dutton family to the end–which will eventually be the beginning of Yellowstone.