Helen Mirren put all of her confidence in “Yellowstone” creator, Taylor Sheridan.
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Mirren revealed why she said yes to playing Cara Dutton in the prequel series before ever seeing a script.
“He [Sheridan] didn’t describe the character particularly, he didn’t describe the journey of the character. It was a jump into the unknown, absolutely,” Mirren told the outlet. “I think both of us [Harrison Ford] had great faith in Taylor’s work that we’d seen and enjoyed so much. He’s an absolutely extraordinary writer and an extraordinary person on the sort of scene of storytelling.”
Mirren continued, “So it wasn’t really anything to do with, ‘she’s gonna be this person and then that’s gonna happen.’ I thought it was very important that he got to know who I was. So we just had a meeting like that, and it was wonderful. It was very revelatory for me. It was at his home, which was extraordinary. Meeting his wife and being in his environment, I found that to be a very beautiful environment.”
‘1923’ STAR HARRISON FORD ON THE SECRET TO HIS DECADES-LONG CAREER: ‘I’VE BEEN VERY LUCKY’
Helen Mirren revealed she agreed to star in “1923” before ever reading a script. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli)
Mirren then revealed the one thing that Sheridan did pitch to her in their meeting. “‘This is going to be a long movie. Basically, we’re gonna tell one story. I don’t know how many episodes we’ll take to tell that story, but it’s going, basically going to be one story,'” Sheridan said, according to Mirren. “And I loved the idea of that as well.”
The actress, 77, addressed the timeline on season two now that there is a writers strike taking over Los Angeles. Mirren praised Sheridan on his writing skills and believes he could have written most of the second season before the strike kicked off.
Taylor Sheridan is the mastermind behind “1923” that stars Mirren and Harrison Ford. (Photo by Mindy Small)
“Taylor being the extraordinary powerhouse that he is of writing, it’s almost as if he writes in his sleep or something. But I have to say, when the scripts arrive, they are perfect,” she said. “You don’t want to change a word. You don’t. No scene is too long. No scene is too short. They’re beautifully constructed. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’d already written some before the strike. If he has, then we can start work. But if that’s not the case, I guess we’ll have to put it off for a while.”
Mirren clarified that she has not yet seen a script for season two. “I suspect we’ll be jumping in not knowing what’s happening,” she said.
“I have to say I love that process. I don’t particularly like prepping, you know? I love cold reading something. As an actor, your very first response to something, where it’s just pure instinct and pure invention—that moment of pure invention, that I love. I’d be perfectly happy to get the scripts the night before we shoot them, and just jump in and do it,” Mirren continued.
Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton in “1923.” (Photo Credit: James Minchin III/Paramount+)
Mirren stars alongside Harrison Ford who portrays Jacob Dutton in “1923.” The pair first worked together in 1986 on “The Mosquito Coast” and noted that she “loved” working with him nearly 40 years ago, but they “were very different people then.”
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“A lot has happened to both of us since those days, but I just felt utterly at ease with him. I didn’t have any real reason to because, you know, he’s ‘Harrison F-king Ford,’” Mirren explained.
Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford first worked together in “The Mosquito Coast” in 1986. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
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“There was every reason for me to feel awkward and like, ‘oh God, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be doing here.’ But I felt utterly at ease with him. Maybe it’s in the nature of the characters that we are playing, I don’t know. But I think it was down to Harrison actually, and how he’s developed into the person that he’s developed into,” she concluded.
