How to Get Cast on ‘Yellowstone’ Prequel Series ‘1923’

While “1883” followed the first generation of Duttons who established the family’s Montana ranch, the new installment features their descendants as they grapple with everything from disease and drought to the end of Prohibition and the impending Great Depression. Like its other iterations, “1923” sees outsiders try to take the Dutton family’s land as they work to construct the ranch that will become home for future generations. 

Paramount+’s “1923” cast features some big names, including Ford and Mirren. Here’s the entire cast: 

• Harrison Ford as Jacob Dutton
• Helen Mirren as Cara Dutton
• Brandon Sklenar as Spencer Dutton
• Darren Mann as Jack Dutton 
• Michelle Randolph as Elizabeth Strafford
• James Badge Dale as John Dutton Sr.
• Marley Shelton as Emma Dutton
• Brian Geraghty as Zane Davis
• Aminah Nieves as Teonna Rainwater
• Jerome Flynn as Banner Creighton

As casting director John Papsidera of Automatic Sweat explained to us, the casting process for each project takes on a life of its own. “It’s so specific to each project you do, whether you’re trying to sell the director or the writer and get talent interested in them, or whether you have a well-known writer or director and then you’re trying to sell the roles and how they play a part in it.” He also told us that it can take some convincing. “On a television show, you’re asking people to sign on for seven years of their life sometimes,” he said. “Those are all different skills you have to perfect to try and then get people into your project. It takes all different kinds of convincing and campaigning and passion and fight to make that happen. Yes, casting is casting and actors I like today are actors I will respect and like 10 years from now, but how I apply that to each project is very different in how I do it. Different jobs require different tools. It’s no different than a lot of professions.”

Regardless of strategy, Papsidera remains steadfast about what makes a great audition. “A lot of it has to do with being a real human being and allowing themselves to be seen, not just physically but actually who they are,” he said. “Being prepared certainly is part of it, and having an idea of what they want to do, making interesting choices—all of those things lend themselves to the overall experience of it. When you get to be in the company of an artist, those are the things and the moments I remember as a CD. I want everybody to rise to that level, because that’s what makes me remember them.”

“1923” isn’t currently casting; however, actors should bookmark our roundup of Western gigs for future opportunities, especially when it comes to casting for other prequels. Along with this resource, we also suggest checking out our casting guide for “Yellowstone” for an inside look at how to become part of Sheridan’s sprawling world. 

We will continue to update this page when casting notices arise.

As with “Yellowstone,” CD John Papsidera (“Lost in Space,” “The Flight Attendant,” “George & Tammy”) cast the ensemble for the spinoff series “1923.” As someone who has cast for both film and television, Papsidera prides himself on creating a safe space that allows actors to express their creativity.

“I hope they feel like they had a space and a moment to share a bit of their soul,” he told us. “I think that is what my job is, and everybody who works with me tries to create a space where that can happen. We really respect actors, and we want them to be able to feel like when they walk into the building, and then specifically into the audition room, they have freedom to do the best work they can. That’s always the goal. I think you do that by making it a safe space, by being helpful and collaborative and present. It’s a big thing for me to feel like we show up for actors. That’s the least that they can expect, and we try to get the best out of them by having someone participate in that.”

Embrace your individuality: Helen Mirren may be a veteran of both stage and screen, but with so many newcomers on the “1923” roster, her advice for young actors continues to ring true for anyone hoping to join this (or any) show’s cast eventually. “Use your wonderful youth and who you are. A lot of the time you can look at other actors and go, ‘They’re so brilliant at doing that, why can’t I do that?’ But you are a complete individual and there’s no one else on the planet like you,” Mirren once said. “You by nature of being you will make it your own, so just believe in that and let that happen.”

Find your own voice: Harrison Ford wants young actors to know that, ultimately, making one’s way in this industry means navigating the metaphorically rocky terrain yourself. “The only advice I’ve ever offered young actors is to try and figure out how to do it for yourself. Never be caught with the idea that you can imitate someone else’s success,” Ford told Big Think. “As much as you might admire what someone else does, don’t try and imitate that. Find your own way. Find your own voice. Find your own feelings. And that will give you a unique opportunity.”

Forget your insecurities: Believe it or not, Mirren once described herself as insecure—something every actor has surely felt at one point or another during their career. But as someone who has forged a path for herself in the industry, it may be time for other actors to reframe their perspective, too. “Perhaps there are people who march through life with not a moment’s self-doubt, or self-questioning. But I persuade myself that, actually, everybody has moments of insecurity,” she said in an interview with Radio Times. “So stop thinking you’re special, you’re just like everyone else! In a way, I think insecurity is a weird form of vanity or ego, making it all about yourself. A much better way to approach things is to make it about other people, rather than about yourself.”