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‘1883’ Spotlights ‘Animal Cast’ in Epic Behind the Scenes Video

While the 1883 cast is full of Hollywood icons like Sam Elliott and Tim McGraw, we can’t forget the real stars that make the entire show possible – the well-trained and incredibly impressive cast of horses.

Ahead of Sunday’s new episode, 1883 dropped a video that showed some well-deserved appreciation for their “animal cast.” In the clip, we get to see some behind-the-scenes shots that demonstrate just how demanding the horses’ jobs can be. Not to mention, they have to follow the direction of the rider, no matter what’s happening around them. Even as trucks and cameras flank their sides and the riders fire blank shots, they keep on riding.

Now those are some grade-A animal actors.

“We’ve raved about our cast, but can’t forget our animal cast too!” 1883 said of their equine cast.

They say, in the entertainment industry, you should never work for animals, but clearly they haven’t the cast of 1883.

‘1883’ Crew Is Just as Dedicated to Authenticity as the Cast

Another unsung hero of the 1883 cast works behind the cameras to ensure the show’s accuracy. Her name is Janie Bryant, and she’s the costume designer that’s responsible for how the cast appears on camera. Bryant, like everyone on the 1883 set, works tirelessly to bring the audience back in time to that harrowing period. She and her team dress each cast member and every extra that arrives on set, so the job is no small feat. Not to mention, Bryant needs to ensure that each garment reflects the economic and geographical characteristics of each persona.

But even with the challenges of her job, there’s no place the 1883 costume designer would rather be.

“You know, there’s one word to describe it, and that is epic, epic, epic,” Bryant told The Hollywood Reporter. “On my first episode, I probably had a thousand extras. And of course, designing the principal cast.”

And Bryant has given due credit to the cast and extras, too. After all, Bryant’s costumes are all made of wool, cotton and leather.

“The actresses are all in corsets … riding horses or driving wagons, and the men are all in wool with the heat and the elements, and you can really feel how taxing it was,” Bryant shared. “Think about a hundred-degree weather and wearing a camisole, corset, bloomers, bustle pad, petticoat and then putting a costume on top of that. I applaud them for being for going with it.”

She even gave special credit to Elliott, who even refused Bryant’s innovative solution to the heat.

“My costume team had gotten some ice packs and other things to try to ease the pain. Sam Elliott was like, ‘I don’t need it. I want to be hot.’ They really embraced what it would be like to live in 1883,” Bryant explained.