James Badge Dale

‘1923’s James Badge Dale Reveals How Tight and Tough Filming ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel Was

1923 actor James Badge Dale recently opened up about playing John Dutton Sr, and a recent unexpected turn for the character. The actor, known for turns in The Departed and a starring role in the cult horror hit The Empty Man, revealed it was a grueling shoot.

“They had the air date set already,” Badge Dale told Deadline. “We were running up against it while shooting in Montana and dealing with the elements.” The veteran actor also pointed out some outside factors, too. “We were up against the wildfire season, which was particularly bad this year,” he added. “Then, of course, winter was coming. We worked fast, but we worked safe and we tried to work smart.”

Badge Dale also admitted that he is definitely no cowboy. He’s a proud city slicker and has next to no experience with horses. “I was born in New York City. There’s a big difference between someone who grows up on a ranch and someone who grows up riding the subway. But Taylor [Sheridan] hires good people and I’ve known these guys throughout the years.”

The actor does have some experience working with horses in films, though. Badge Dale played Dan Reid in 2013’s The Lone Ranger. “The guys who trained us were from the same wrangling team who was on The Lone Ranger,” he explained. “The guy who was my riding double back on The Lone Ranger was one of Harrison Ford’s stunt guys. They are good people and they bring good positive energy to work all the time, and they work safely. And I think that’s the most important thing when you’re working with animals. The animal is the main concern on set.”

James Badge Dale recalls thinking ‘I’m leaving something here’ shooting his 1923 scenes

A word of warning for those not up to date on 1923: There are some major spoilers ahead. Of course, diehard fans already know that John Dutton Sr’s time on the show was rather short. The character is gunned down in the third episode of the series. It was a shocking moment, and one Badge Dale had to be tight-lipped about until the big reveal.

“I’m so happy to finally be able to talk about it because I did the whole press tour and they were like, ‘what’s the story arc here?’ And I was like uh, uh. I had a great time,” the actor quipped. “They were very upfront with me on what they’re looking for and what they needed. It was a pleasure to play the role of John Dutton Sr.”

Playing a death scene is considered a high point for actors, and Badge Dale seemed to revel in it. “We took three days to shoot that [death scene shoot out]. I was just so proud of this film group and stunt guys and how they were able to handle it. It’s not always easy. When I was laying in the dirt, I was thinking, ‘you know? I’m leaving something in this dirt. I’m leaving something here.’”

Of course, reprising the role in some capacity isn’t out of the question. There are flashbacks, twins… ghosts.  “If Taylor calls me tomorrow, I’d say ‘all right. I’ll get on the plane,” Badge Dale insisted.