1923 season 1 premiere: How Harrison Ford prepared

Without a doubt, there are a couple of reasons to have some excitement in advance of the 1923 premiere on Paramount+. First, there’s the idea that it is both a prequel to Yellowstone and then also a sequel to 1883. Then, there’s also the fact that it stars Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. It’s pretty darn incredible that actors of this caliber are on a television series, let alone together.

As some of you may know, Ford is playing Jacob Dutton in this series. He is the brother of James Dutton, who appeared in 1883 and was played by Tim McGraw. He’s a different sort of guy and on this series, you’ll understand him more, including how the relationship with his wife Cara (Mirren) allows him to find a balance in life.

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So how exactly did Ford prepare for this show? In a new interview with Collider, he does explain that he focused a lot on 1883, and hasn’t had as much time to check out Yellowstone itself:

I’ve been working and busy, and I haven’t had a lot of time to catch up [on Yellowstone], but I thought it more important that I see all of 1883, which I did, because that is the closest in time and story-wise of the developed Yellowstone elements. Yellowstone, which takes place in contemporary time… I love the work that Kevin [Costner is] doing and I love the show, but 1883 was more important to me to concentrate on, and it was very useful in helping me understand the way they have been storytelling.

Ford should have at least some of the John Dutton DNA in his portrayal, at least in terms of how tenacious he is and some of his larger, broader goals. This is a guy who is almost certainly going to be out to do whatever he can to advance the ranch, even if that means making enemies along the way. 1923 is going to come with its fair share of challenges, with one of the biggest ones being the Great Depression starting earlier there than other parts of the United States.

What are you hoping to see from Harrison Ford moving into the 1923 season 1 premiere?

Share some of your thoughts and hopes now in the comments! Once you do just that, keep coming back for other updates.

Photo: Paramount+