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‘1883’: Tim McGraw Talks ‘The Fire’ of Dutton Family For Outsider

Since “Yellowstone’s” season four conclusion, all of us here at Outsider are looking to ‘1883″ to get even more Dutton family action. And recently, Outsider had the privilege of sitting down with James Dutton aka Tim McGraw himself. In an interview about the series, McGraw shares insight into the Dutton origins and just where that ‘fire’ comes from.

Speaking with Outsider, McGraw opened up about the origin story.

“First of all, I don’t think you have to be a fan of ‘Yellowstone’ to get into ‘1883’,” McGraw says. He believes that fans will enjoy the prequel on its own.

“But it will make you want to watch ‘Yellowstone,’” he quips. When asked by Outsider staff about the resemblance of his character James Dutton to John Dutton (Kevin Costner), McGraw says he believes that fans will definitely get some insight into where that “fire and steeliness and love of family” comes from.

The “1883” actor shares that he loves playing the character of James Dutton and sharing that original spice that makes the Duttons so intriguing.

“You know, why is that ingrained in our families? And I think you will see that will our families. With Isabel and Margaret, you’ll see where some of Beth Dutton comes from. And certainly with James, you’ll see certainly where his love of family comes from.”

“1883’s” Characters Broken Down

“1883” is Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” prequel. It details the original Duttons hard fought journey west from Texas. In the first three episodes, we see similar battles fought. Not only is the Civil War barely in the past, the cowboys are struggling with intense weather, herding cattle and inner demons. The fight to survive is just as difficult as the fight to stay stoic in their efforts.

Among the travelers, Elsa (played by Isabel May) is perhaps the most resilient of the bunch. A young woman struggling to find her place among a troupe full of cowboys is no easy feat.

Her beauty parallels her inner strength as she proves she’s as tough as nails in a male-dominated culture.

“I think Elsa is someone that can’t be dishonest,” the actress said. “She is this pure… in the beginning naive… The way that she views the world, she’s so alive. And she appreciates everything so much, to such a degree.”

She further adds of her character:

“I think a young woman at that time, that age, is just a perspective we’ve never seen in a Western,” May explained. “So, it makes it all the more interesting when she’s just so in love with her surroundings. And then the backdrop to that is how difficult that experience was. So it’s this interesting contrast between the beauty of the world that she sees. And the hardship, the reality of it. I think that brings the series to life in a unique way.”