‘1923’: What Taylor Sheridan Told Helen Mirren When She Said She Wouldn’t Ride Horses

Taylor Sheridan is known for the Yellowstone series, and his prequel spinoff, 1923, continues to tell the story of the Duttons beyond the events in 1883. Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford shine in the 1923 cast as Cara and Jacob Dutton, though Mirren didn’t want to ride horses before shooting the series began. Here’s Taylor Sheridan’s response to Mirren hoping to stay off the stallions.

Helen Mirren plays Cara Dutton in ‘1923’

Cara Dutton plays a vital role in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923. As Jacob Dutton’s wife, she helps hold down the Montana ranch — and the opening scene of the series shows just how brutal and mighty she can be when necessary. Helen Mirren is the perfect fit for the role alongside Harrison Ford.

While Mirren plays an unflappable character in the Western series, she told TVLine that “storm clouds” still gather around Cara and Jacob. “Cara, as you very rightfully point out, is well-balanced, is fundamentally peaceful, and what brings her to this point of extremity to live and work in that sort of environment dealing with the climate, dealing with the violence of nature … is one thing they’ll have to deal with,” Mirren said.

The actor also pointed out that Cara and Jacob will go through an “extraordinary moment in history” — the ’20s. “It was so revolutionary,” she added. “There were so many things changing. Society was changing, the coming of votes for women, the coming of the second World War … the coming of electricity, the coming of automobiles. You know, an extraordinary century.”

Helen Mirren explained Taylor Sheridan’s reaction to her not wanting to ride a horse

Helen Mirren gladly accepted the role of Cara Dutton in 1923. But taking on the role also meant possibly riding horses. Many of the characters in the show uses horses and carriages as their main mode of transportation. The show’s cast spoke to Entertainment Tonight about attending “cowboy camp” to help adjust them to Western life.

“None of us really knew how to ride a horse, minus a few,” Elizabeth Strafford actor Michelle Randolph said. “We were sore and we were all dying inside.”

Mirren wasn’t too keen on riding the horses, though. “I said right at the beginning to Taylor, ‘I don’t ride,'” Mirren told Entertainment Tonight about her conversation with Taylor Sheridan. “I can’t ride. I’ve fallen off a horse many times. And I’m not afraid of being on a horse, but I don’t know how to ride a horse. So, he said, ‘Don’t worry. We’ll put you in a buggy.’ So, I got to learn how to guide a buggy and that was great. Bit like learning how to drive a car, really, in a way.”

How are the ‘1923’ Duttons related to the ‘1883’ Duttons?

Taylor Sheridan fans watching 1923 want to know the relation between the Duttons in this series versus the Duttons in 1883. So, how are they all related?

Jacob Dutton is the brother of James Dutton from 1883. Both James and Margaret Dutton died between the events in 1883 and 1923. They had three children — Elsa, Spencer, and John Dutton Sr. Elsa died in 1883. John Sr. died at the beginning of 1923 while Spencer spent most of his early days hunting wild game in Africa.

1923 airs Sundays on Paramount+.

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