Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren and ‘1923’ Stars Join Taylor Sheridan’s Universe: ‘There’s Nothing Else Like It’

Taylor Sheridan is not one to party in Hollywood.

Friday night, as Paramount+ presented the world premiere of the latest installment in the Sheridan universe – the Yellowstone prequel 1923 with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren – the Oscar-nominated designer was miles away doing what his close aides say he does best: work.

“He’s in a hotel room in Las Vegas right now cutting future episodes of this show,” 101 Studios CEO David Glasser, executive producer of Sheridan shows, confirmed as 1923, Yellowstone, 1883, Tulsa King, Mayor of Kingstown and more. “Taylor is one of those people who, at the end of the day, is really in his element. He loves being on the ranch, living the ranch life and writing – that’s where he’s most comfortable. It’s his cathartic way of doing everything, and when he’s in that zone, he’s great.

With his hot air balloon slate, no one could blame Sheridan for not showing up, and with star power like Ford and Mirren, there might not have been a need to sell the show to the press that was gathered under a tent structure outside American Legion Post 43 on a rainy night in the heart of Hollywood. Also, in his absence, his 1923 The family were more than happy to talk about their boss explaining what makes his designs so special. Viewers clearly agree as his shows continue to be ratings records.

Paramount+ will find out if 1923 can do the same when it debuts on December 18. It’s the next installment in the Dutton family origin story and it features Ford as Jacob Dutton and Mirren as Cara Dutton in a series that explores the early 20th century when pandemics, drought historically, the end of Prohibition and the Great Depression afflict all of the western mountains. Marley Shelton, Michelle Randolph, James Badge Dale, Brian Geraghty, Darren Mann, Aminah Nieves, Jerome Flynn, Sebastian Roché, Tim DeKay, Julia Schlaepfer, Jennifer Ehle and Timothy Dalton complete the cast of MTV Entertainment Studios, 101 Studios and Bosque Production of ranch.

On the Friday night premiere golden carpet, The Hollywood Reporter asked Ford, Mirren, and select cast members to share their experiences working with Sheridan and what it’s been like to land in his universe.

“He’s an incredible rider. He’s a real athlete, and that’s something you might not expect to find in such a talented writer and thinker. -Harrison Ford

“He is fabulously intractable. He presents the scenario, and it’s so extraordinary that we don’t want to change a word. You want to do it exactly as it is written because it is written with incredible precision but without being laborious. To be able to be part of a franchise in such a unique world on American television is very exciting. There is nothing else like it. —Helen Mirren

“Taylor’s reputation precedes him. He’s such a talented and brilliant writer, director, and producer, and what he’s created with these characters in this world is so vast and epic. The way it manages to flesh out so many characters and tell a balanced story is mind-boggling. He invited all of us to go to Cowboy Camp before we started filming, when we were in pre-production. All of us cast members were invited to Montana for two weeks to ride horses, and we learned how to drive and rope cattle. I had to learn to drive a buggy. Not only did he want us to learn about ranch life as a way to let it seep into our pores, but also as a way for us to bond with each other and feel like we belonged. something special – and we are. —Marley Shelton

“I was expecting someone totally different when I met him. He told me great stories about his time as an actor, the process and how he hired some of the most young actors on the show giving them a break from really famous actors I like it because we all need that break I got it 15 or 20 years ago and some of the actors of the show got it from him. I thought that was awesome and wonderful. Because he’s an actor, he’s really empathetic to actors. He’s this tough cowboy, but underneath it all, he really empathizes. I think he throws really well, and he doesn’t care what you did, for the most part. He picks the right people for the role. When you show up for work, everyone gets up He creates that, and it comes from him, but he’s also very welcoming and gives you the tools you need to make it happen. —Brian Geraghty

“I got a text from Taylor that said, ‘I’m putting the band back together, do you want to come play with us?’ I thought it was so cute that he sent that, and of course, I said yes. Tell me when and where — let’s do it. First of all, he really has an amazing gift for understand and know great talent. He also has a great point of view. Taylor is a great writer. He creates incredible characters, and because he is such a great leader, it becomes an inspiration for all leaders of department and actors. He also has a very specific point of view and also allows us to collaborate and create with him, which is so amazing. It’s the best kind of relationship to have. It’s a big family whose we are part of it.” — costume designer Janie Bryant (1883)

“He’s such a talented writer and the way he writes his characters, he gives them such depth and such unique storylines, no matter how many different situations are going on at once. Every character is so unique and c It’s really hard to do as a writer, especially for the number of shows he writes for. — Michelle Randolph

“You can’t stop reading his work. When we got the scripts, I couldn’t put it down. This is the first time I’ve had an experience like this, where I opened a script and just couldn’t put it down. As difficult as some scenes were, I kept going and going. I could read what Taylor Sheridan writes forever. —Leena Robinson

“He’s an actor himself, so he has a lot of experience acting, writing and rewriting scripts and twisting and turning lines to make his characters believable. When he writes, he knows exactly how a character like me — captain of a small ship — talks and acts compared to other guys; a rich man speaks differently from a poor man. He writes very, very well like the Coen brothers and [Quentin Tarantino]. The characters argue and talk when they need to talk. It was very comfortable to be on set because it’s like shooting a big movie. We didn’t have to hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry. We had time. It’s rare for TV, but this precursor, as he was, knows how to create, and if it has to cost a little more, so much the better because the result will be much, much better. -Peter Stormare

“Funny enough, I had no idea Yellowstone or Taylor Sheridan until I read the script, but I knew right away I had to. I couldn’t stop crying when I auditioned because it’s an honor to tell our stories. I’m so lucky because we don’t have a lot of aboriginal representation and being able to make sure everything was right by working with a [consultant] and talk with my family and other experts. It’s our job to tell our stories and to do so in a way that our youth can feel safe and elders feel like their voice is heard. Taylor enabled this by telling the stories. —Amina Nieves