“1883” star Sam Elliott opened up in a recent interview about what it’s been like filming on-location for the show.
Unlike many Hollywood projects, “1883” films on location in Texas and Montana. While it gives the show that much more authenticity, it comes with its own challenges, mostly weather-related. However, Sam Elliot believes that filming on location is necessary for a project like this.
“That’s one of the great things about this project, we’re on a lot of the land that the Oregon Trail was either on or very close to. You can’t tell a tale like this, about the American west–mythic or not, you can’t tell a tale like this without being on the land. It’s just part of it. The land is a prime character in telling a period piece, as much as the people that are on the land,” Elliott explains in a recent interview.
Filming On Location For ‘1883’ Came With Challenges
But, it doesn’t mean filming on location was always easy. Elliott shares, “We started out in Ft. Worth, Texas where it was 106,107,108 degrees. Couldn’t get away from the heat or the sun. Most all these immigrants were covered in layers of wool clothing– I’m wearing a wool coat in it myself, throughout the entire thing. We went from there to Montana and worked in temperatures that went down into the 10s with the wind and the chill factor. Now we’re back in the panhandle of Texas right now, and yesterday we got blown off the set in a dust storm. So, it’s been an interesting mix of weather along the way.”
Elliott says that like many of the actors on the project, he was drawn to the role because of Taylor Sheridan’s writing. The actor had never seen “Yellowstone”, so he didn’t know what to expect– but loved the script. Elliott says of Sheridan’s writing, “There’s no collaboration in terms of the writing process with Taylor Sheridan. The last thing Taylor needs is a collaborator. He’s a brilliant writer. I think the stuff that he writes is what draws whoever he happens to be working with to him. It’s certainly the reason I came.”
Sam Elliott On Working With Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga
While “1883” is Sam Elliott’s current project, it’s one of many of his notable works. In 2018, the actor worked alongside Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga (Stefani) on the film “A Star is Born”. When asked what it was like working on the project, Elliot had nothing but good things to say. “That was such a special project. I can’t even tell you in the time we’ve got how much it meant to me to be there. I loved both of them deeply by the time that thing was over. Bradley [Cooper] to me is one of the most talented people in the industry. In terms of being an actor, in terms of being a writer, in terms of being a filmmaker. On top of that, he’s a nice guy,” Elliott gushes.
The actor continues, “I’d say the same thing of Gaga. Stefani (Lady Gaga) is a lovely lady. As complex and as megastar as she is all over the world, underneath it all she’s just a good woman. It was a gift. It was a gift as much as this [1883] is, to have been part of it.”
