Sam Elliott as Shea Brennan, '1883'

‘1883’s Sam Elliott Earns SAG Award Nomination for His Portrayal of Shea Brennan

It’s officially awards season and some of our favorite TV stars are seeing well-deserved recognition for their work. First, Yellowstone‘s Kevin Costner won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his character John Dutton. On the following night, 1883 star Sam Elliott earned major recognition of his own. Ahead of the 2023 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Sam Elliott was nominated under the category Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Limited Series for his portrayal of 1883‘s Shea Brennan.

1923‘s official Twitter page shared the news. The post reads, “Congratulations to Sam Elliott on his [SAG Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Make Actor in a Limited Series for his role of Shea Brennan on [1883]!”

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Fans of producer Taylor Sheridan‘s work have turned their attention to Yellowstone‘s latest prequel 1923. But 1883, which premiered last year, introduced Yellowstone fans to the root ancestors of John Dutton and his family. By blood, John and Kayce Dutton are related to 1883‘s James and Margaret Dutton (Tim McGraw and Faith Hill). However, it was Sam Elliott’s Shea Brennan that helped get the Duttons to Montana and really contributed to the progression of the limited series’ storyline.

Sam Elliott’s 1883 character was also incredibly impactful just due to the loss he suffered as a husband and father. We also got a look at his trauma as a war veteran. Overall, the SAG Awards nomination is well-deserved and we’re excited to see if Sam Elliott takes home the win for his contributions to 1883.

Sam Elliott Reflects On Powerful Scene with ‘1883’s Elsa Dutton Actress Isabel May

Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan’s brand new series 1923 gives dedicated fans a different perspective of the Dutton legacy. Most significantly, the new prequel is set exactly 50 years in the future from the events of 1883. In it, Sheridan confirms the tragic deaths of both James and Margaret Dutton. However, when the new series premiered, 1883 fans were reintroduced to a familiar voice, that of Elsa Dutton actress Isabel May. Elsa passed away during the series finale of 1883, long before her parents. Not long after Elsa died though did we also witness the death of Sam Elliott’s Shea Brennan. Following 1883‘s completion, Sam Elliott reflected on one especially powerful scene he shared with May’s Elsa Dutton.

Sam Elliott’s favorite scene with Isabel May’s Elsa Dutton came early on in the series, immediately following the death of her first love, the cowboy Ennis.

“I know how ya feel,” Shea tells the teen, “a lot of people are going to tell you that. Whether it’s the truth or not, I don’t know…But I know it’s true when I say it.”

This is significant because some of the earliest moments in 1883 highlight the deaths of Shea’s wife and daughter. Sam Elliott, thinking back on that interaction with Isabel May, said, “That’s one of my favorite scenes. Shea tells her a story that he’s heard from an Apache scout which is a great tale. He’s trying to make Elsa come out of her gloom that she’s immersed herself in and at the same time he shows a glimpse of what it is that’s driving him to Oregon.”