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The cast of 1923 attended Taylor Sheridan’s infamous cowboy camp. There the actors learned about the cowboy way of life and were able to get conformable on horseback. They practiced roping, herding cattle, and other skills they would need to film the series. Though the cast enjoyed the camp, it’s a notoriously grueling process to train for a Taylor Sheridan series.

'1923' actor Brian Geraghty attended cowboy camp to learn how to ride a horse, like in this photo from the series.
Brian Geraghty as Zane Davis in ‘1923’ | Emerson Miller/Paramount+

Darren Mann and Michelle Randolph describe being extremely sore from cowboy camp

Fans of Taylor Sheridan’s work have probably heard of the screenwriter’s infamous cowboy camp. Actors from Yellowstone, 1883, and now 1923 attended the camp to learn how to ride horses, herd and rope cattle, and learn about the cowboy way of life.

While the actors usually have good things to say about cowboy camp, it’s definitely not a walk in the park. While speaking with Slash Film, Darren Mann and Michelle Randolph, who play Jack Dutton and Elizabeth Strafford in 1923, described being very sore in the aftermath of cowboy camp.

“Misery brings us together,” Mann said. “I think it really did work, and we all had such a fun time and just so many good laughs and making bonds and connections. I would love to start every single job, I do like that, really.”

The cast of ‘1923’ took ice baths together after long days of training for the series

Jennifer Ehle portrays Sister Mary in 1923. Ehle’s character helps run one of the horrific Native American boarding schools that were prevalent during this time period. Since Sister Mary is a nun and doesn’t do any horseback riding in 1923, Ehle didn’t attend cowboy camp. However, the actor certainly saw the effects of the experience.

“The first time I ever met one of the actors, Brandon [Sklenar], he was filling… I kept hearing the sound of this ice machine going, and he was there with a huge trash bag, like one of the really big hefty bags, filling the entire bag with ice from the hotel ice machine in the hallway,” Ehle said in an interview with The CBR. “I was like, ‘What is happening?’ [I] then found out that it was for the ice baths that they would all take together.”

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The ‘1923’ actors competed against each other at cowboy camp

Aminah Nieves, who play Teonna in the prequel series, also attended cowboy camp. “It was very fun to be able to experience little horses. I mean, listen, I’ve always wanted to ride a horse, and I have before, but not like this,” the actor told The CBR.

“This was a different level. It was two weeks intensive. We were competing against one another, and you put actors competing against one another, come on. I mean, it was great. [laughs] We’d come home after the end of the day smelling like cow poop and just taking ice baths together.” Nieves added, “I wish Jen was there.”

1923 premieres Sunday, December 18, 2022, on Paramount+.