Tim McGraw and Faith Hill chatted about the filming process of 1883 for the first time in an exclusive TV interview.
In an recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the famous country couple, who will act as James and Margaret Dutton in the upcoming Yellowstone prequel, 1883, opened up about their experience filming the highly-anticipated show. While McGraw and Hill have both appeared in several movies individually, 1883 marks the first time that the husband and wife have acted in a film together.
During the interview, McGraw shared some harsh conditions that he encountered while filming, “It’s super dusty and super hot. There’s no way around it. At the same time, it’s like every kid’s fantasy to do something like this, to put your chaps on, your cowboy hat, and your gun holsters every day. Then you get on a horse and try to survive this journey.”
The country hitmaker and “7500 OBO” singer then gushed over seeing his fearless wife, Hill, on set firing guns and riding horses.
“To see my beautiful wife on horseback, firing guns, and having dirt all over her face, I just sit in awe,” McGraw gushed. “She’s a strong woman, anyway. Taylor said early on to me, ‘Man, you’ll just get on that horse. You’re not scared of anything.’ I said, ‘I’m scared of one thing. She’s right over there.’”
While McGraw did endure some tough, dusty conditions while filming, he wasn’t faced with the same challenges that his wife, Hill, was faced with, including the challenge of wearing a corset while horseback riding.
“Although it looks amazing, it’s terrible. I think I have a few ribs floating around in my body,” Hill shared of wearing a corset while horseback riding. “This is real work. I was raised by Edna Earl and Ted Perry, and they believed the best way to teach a child was to get your hands in the dirt. That’s basically this in a nutshell. I think so many actors are drawn to Taylor’s writing because he is portraying the story in a way that was lived. I gained so much respect for cowboys.”
The GRAMMY award-winning pair of superstars and their cast mates filmed the show in what was described as the “middle of nowhere,” which Hill admitted is “why so many actors are drawn to Taylor Sheridan’s writing because he is portraying the story in a way that was lived”
Hill later added that she was ultimately forced to become “quite comfortable” with the rest of the crew on set while filming as they had to adapt to living life in the middle of nowhere and as Hill said, “you learn how to pick a tree, squat down, and do your business.”
1883 is slated to premiere on December 19, while Yellowstone Season 4 is set for release on November 7 via Paramount Network and Paramount+.
Created by Taylor Sheridan, 1883 is the highly anticipated prequel to the Emmy® nominated, Yellowstone. 101 Studios and Bosque Ranch Productions serve as production partners on the series.
The prequel follows the Dutton family as they embark on a journey west through the Great Plains toward the last bastion of untamed America. It is a stark retelling of Western expansion, and an intense study of one family fleeing poverty to seek a better future in America’s promised land — Montana.
Sam Elliott will also appear in the film and is set to play Shea Brennan, a tough as nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past. He has the Herculean task of guiding a group from Texas to Montana, and he does not suffer fools. McGraw and Hill will portray James and Margaret Dutton, the patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family, respectively. Additional cast to be announced.
“It all starts with the writing, and Taylor Sheridan is a brilliant writer,” Elliott said. “I think the western genre speaks clearly to both of us. The classic struggles of man against man, man against nature, and man against himself. It’s all there, in 1883, and I’m honored to be a part of it.”
“This is truly a dream job,” McGraw said. “Taylor has found a way of storytelling that brilliantly creates these epic dramas and family sagas with so much depth and creativity. The Duttons are tremendous characters and it’s so thrilling to be able to bring them to life. As a kid growing up riding horses, you think about dream jobs like this and I am just so excited to work with this amazing cast and crew.”
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Hill added. “The Duttons are a formidable family, and it is an absolute dream to bring such a strong female character like Margaret Dutton to life. I am humbled and honored to work with Taylor and his entire team.”
1883 is executive produced by Sheridan, John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari.
