‘1883’ Star Sam Elliott Reveals Why He Accepted the Role on the ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel

While 1883 star Sam Elliott makes a great cowboy he doesn’t always want to be pigeonholed as a Western guy, so why did he take this role?

When speaking with Deadline about the upcoming series that premieres tonight, Elliott talked about why he accepted the role of Shea. The Yellowstone prequel is as Western as it gets. The actor even remembers being asked to be in The Big Lebowski. Somehow he was made to be a cowboy yet again in the Cohen Brothers film.

However, there is a big difference between 1883 and other projects he may have turned down. When it comes down to it, Taylor Sheridan was able to bring in the legendary Elliott because of who he is and what he has done.

“Taylor’s script,” Elliott mentioned as the reason for going back to the cowboy role. “I knew his work as an actor, and because of his films. Sicario, for starters. The thing he did with Jeff [Bridges in Hell or High Water] blew me away. The guy writes brilliant stuff. I love his dialogue.”

Those are all reasons why fans love Yellowstone so much. It is also why they are likely going to tune into 1883. Elliott said more about the dialogue of the show. “I love that it’s spare and he doesn’t waste a lot of words. That speaks to me. At the same time, it’s intelligent, insightful. It’s all those things that an actor would love to do and it’s always fun to see yourself in some role that’s more interesting than you are personally. That is such a gift.”

We can’t wait to see that dialogue play out tonight. Especially between LaMonica Garrett and Sam Elliott’s characters, Thomas and Shea.

‘1883’ Star LaMonica Garrett Says There’s A ‘Bromance’

There have been so many interviews and things said about 1883 ahead of the premiere of the show. All of the cast have talked many times about what the process was like and other topics. LaMonica Garrett has given fans some great quotes to get hyped up before the show. That includes the “bromance” that his character has with Sam Elliott’s character.

The two characters, Thomas and Shea are former Civil War veterans. They traded in that life to become Pinkerton agents and ride in the west.

“And they’ve been brothers ever since [the war] – the right-hand knows what the left is doing,” Garrett said. “They could sit at a campfire for an hour and not say a word, but it’ll say everything about who they are. THey’re comfortable together and they’re protective over each other. It’s like an 1800s bromance.”

Once the premiere is here we can’t go back. 1883 is coming to the world and it looks like we are going to get a wonderful expansion of the Yellowstone universe.