1923 introduces us to the Duttons of days past, and in addition to Harrison Ford’s Jacob Dutton and Dame Helen Mirren’s Cara, we quickly get a glimpse at the Dutton family member who has gone the farthest off of the beaten path in the handsome and charming Spencer. Played by Brandon Sklenar, he’s not just a powerhouse of a character; he’s vulnerable and painfully aware of how quickly this life could end.
Taylor Sheridan knows exactly what he’s doing with the Dutton family in 1923, from the heartache he intricately weaves with glimpses of joy down to the way he reached out to several actors before even having a script to give them; he’s a confident man — and rightfully so. Sheridan is looking to the future with each piece of the Yellowverse puzzle, which comes down to the believability of each series, including the likeness of the actors to one another.
If you didn’t know the history of each actor, you might look at Ford and Sklenar and think there has to be some family lineage behind the scenes. While there isn’t, Sklenar does have a connection to Harrison Ford outside of 1923. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Sklenar laughed when the interviewer pointed out that he looked a lot like Ford and asked if he went out for Star Wars several years ago.
Sklenar confirmed that he auditioned to play the young Han Solo, the role obviously made famous by Ford, in 2018’s prequel film Solo: A Star Wars Story. However, the actor admitted his shabby appearance at the time may have offset his natural Ford-like looks.
“Yes, I did… When I showed up to that one, I was a little worse for wear, and there were a couple-hundred guys there if I remember correctly. It was a funny experience.”
Ford and Sklenar are handsome, gritty, and talented beyond measure; as Duttons, they’re fiery and passionate, and viewers can’t get enough. Of course, you might anticipate that working with Ford might make even the most dedicated actor a little nervous, but Sklenar says Ford changes the room’s atmosphere when he walks in.
He’s so cool that he just makes everyone around him cool. You acclimate to his frequency when you’re around him. He also doesn’t project like he’s Harrison Ford, either. He’s just a sweet guy, so it’s pretty easy to be around him.
While their off-screen bond is easy, we think things will be far more complicated when Spencer gets home in the second half of 1923‘s first season. You see, the Dutton family ties aren’t always the type of familial relationships you dream of, and fans have yet to see Spencer and Jacob interact in the series. Spencer has spent years trying to outrun his own mind, and Jacob stayed home to protect the family and their land; while we’re sure there will be joy upon having Spencer home, Sklenar recently warned fans not to expect a journey lined with sunshine and rainbows.
1923 returns with new episodes on Feb. 5, and you won’t want to miss the action.