Helen Mirren's and Harrison Ford's performances as a married couple in 1923 will look convincing because they've had 30 years to work on it.
That's according to Mirren, who spoke to Newsweek ahead of the launch of the highly anticipated Yellowstone prequel series, 1923. The show is Taylor Sheridan's latest addition to his popular Yellowstone universe, which follows the Dutton family story after the events of 1883, the previous prequel series.
Mirren stars as Cara Dutton and Ford is Jacob Dutton, the owners of Montana's Yellowstone ranch in the early 20th century. When announced, the casting marked a surprising reunion for the pair, who had previously worked together in the 1980s.
Mirren was asked what work she and Ford put in behind the scenes to inform their relationship as a married couple in 1923.
"That's really interesting you ask that because basically the answer is nothing," Mirren told Newsweek. "The work we had put in, in a sense, had been happening over the last 30 years since we last worked together, and the work we put into living life and surviving life and carrying on and getting to be the ages that we are. That was 'the work,' if you like."
Viewers of a certain age may remember their screen debut together in the movie adaptation of Paul Theroux's novel The Mosquito Coast. In the 1986 drama, Mirren and Ford played a married couple who leave America to live in a jungle in Central America with their children. The movie was a box office flop, although Ford has said he has no regrets about starring in it.
Mirren is now 77 and Ford is 80, and while it's been 36 years since they last worked together, they settled back into a routine almost immediately.
"I think the fact that we'd worked together before absolutely informed the moment we saw each other," she said. "'Hello, Harrison, how are you? How have you been?' [He responded] 'I'm great. How are you, Helen? Nice to see you.'
"And we were immediately just kind of weirdly connected at the hip and loving each other. We're very, very close to each other now and I think that really manifests itself on the screen," Mirren said.
"What you see on the screen is very similar to how we are now off the screen, except we don't get into bed together," she joked.
While Mirren and Ford resumed acting together without skipping a beat, some of their co-stars in 1923 took a moment to appreciate the fact that they were working with screen legends.
Darren Mann, who plays their great-nephew Jack Dutton, told Newsweek how it felt coming face to face with them for the first time.
"I was at a wardrobe fitting getting ready," he said. "They're taking some pictures of me, and all of a sudden I hear this bang, bang on the door. The door flings open and it felt like I was watching Indiana Jones walking in, like I'd seen this scene before.
"There was Harrison Ford in this cowboy hat. I was speechless for a second, because here he is. There's Indiana Jones, there's Han Solo, there's my childhood icon.
"He's so cool, so down to earth. It's easy to chat to the guy, and that became evident right away, and he made it such a special time on set," Mann said.
His onscreen fiancée, Michelle Randolph, who plays Elizabeth Strafford, was similarly starstruck.
"I met them both at cowboy camp. Harrison perched on one of the gates around the arena that we were running around, and I didn't realize it was him at first because he was so casual and chill, then I noticed some of the wranglers starting to get really nervous and like, 'oh, that's Harrison Ford.'"
She continued, "And Helen, she's just so sweet. The first time I met her she came and sat and had breakfast with us before we started. She was so lovely."
James Badge Dale, who plays an older version of John Dutton Sr. in 1923, said, "I'm still so struck with how kind and open they are, and giving in their humility, both Helen and Harrison."
"Meeting them was definitely a 'pinch me' moment," said Marley Shelton, who plays Dale's on-screen wife.
1923 begins Sunday, December 18, on Paramount+.
About the writer
Jamie Burton is a Newsweek Senior TV and Film Reporter (Interviews) based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
