The cast of 1883 is star-studded and packed with talent. Isabel May is now a big star as the narrator and one of the main characters of the show.
With all of the big names in the cast, what made May stick out to Taylor Sheridan? With a role this big and important, central to his historical fiction/Dutton origin story, he had to find the perfect fit. There were no cutting corners on Elsa Dutton. It turns out, the actress auditioned for Sheridan. But not for Elsa.
In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the 1883 star talked about how she ended up on the show. Her journey was a perfect example of that age-old saying, when a door closes, a window opens. Except for this time, it wasn’t a window opening. The whole damn roof came off the building.
“I was the only person to audition for Elsa,” May explained in her interview. “Taylor was doing another project called Mayor of Kingstown, and in March 2021, something like that, he flew three girls out to Texas, including myself. So I auditioned for that, and I was terribly wrong for it.”
After that, she didn’t know what was next for her. Then she got a call.
“I don’t know what happened or what it was about myself or our interaction that sparked something in him, but Elsa came to life after our meeting,” the actress said. “He called two weeks later and said, ‘You’re Elsa Dutton. I want you to be Elsa Dutton. Please be Elsa Dutton.’ And I said, ‘Well, of course, I’ll be Elsa Dutton because you’re Taylor Sheridan and it’s my dream to work with you.'”
Now, 1883 is more than halfway through the first season and fans are in love. Elsa has become an immediate favorite.
‘1883’ Isabel May Says Show is ‘Taylor’s Baby’
With this being a dream role for May, she got to work with Sheridan very closely. During filming and production on 1883, she listened to the writer and producer’s ideas and thoughts. Asking about the show and more when she could. While she says that she hasn’t “poked and prodded,” she knows what this project is. The big picture.
“That’s probably the greatest thing about this project. It’s Taylor’s baby, and I don’t think people understand how much it means to him. I certainly don’t want to speak on his behalf, but he’s expressed that,” May said. Since she is such an integral part of the show, May even knows the secrets about the future of the show. “I know everything,” is how she put it.
So, as the show continues on, fans are going to find out what Isabel May knows. The 1883 star is always excited when she talks about the show. Each episode has delivered. Things get more dangerous every mile that the caravan travels it seems. How will it all turn out? May knows. The rest of us will have to wait and find out.