Posted in: CBS, streaming, TV | Tagged: 1883, Faith Hill, interview, paramount plus, taylor sheridan, tim mcgraw

1883: Tim McGraw Talks Yellowstone Prequel & Working with Faith Hill

If you are not watching 1883 you are missing out on one of the greatest modern-day westerns ever put to screen. Featuring Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LaMonica Garrett, Billy Bob Thornton, and Isabel May, the series has broken Paramount +'s record for the streamer's most-watched original series premiere ever and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. Penned and created by the man who can seemingly do no wrong these days, Taylor Sheridan (Mayor of Kingstown, Those Who Wish Me Dead), the Yellowstone prequel series stars McGraw (The Blind Side, Friday Night Lights) as the tough as nails patriarch the Dutton family, James. Along with his wife Margaret (Hill), and their daughter Elsa (May) they embark on a journey west through the last bastion of untamed America. Arriving in Texas, James and his family prepare to make their way through The Great Plains in search of a new home and the promise of opportunity in Montana. Now, McGraw hops off the saddle long enough to speak with Bleeding Cool about working with his wife, the challenges of filming a period western, and what surprises viewers can expect from the "Yellowstone" prequel.

Viewers are expecting a lot from this show: manifest destiny, gunfights, wagon caravans, cowboys, Civil War flashbacks. What do you think fans are going to be most surprised that they're not expecting from this?

Tim McGraw: The heart of the show is what people are going to be most surprised by. There's all the action, there's all the drama, there's all the struggle and the fight against nature and the fight against man versus himself. There's all that stuff, but I think at the end of the day, there is going to be a lot of tears because there's just such a heart to this show and such a determination to do good and be and be a good person.

LaMonica Garrett, who plays Thomas, shared some harrowing tales about filming "1883" in the snow and the cold weather. What were the most challenging aspects of filming this period piece for you?

TM: There's been a lot of challenges, certainly with the weather and in the elements. At the same time, it was the most beautiful place in the world, and probably my favorite place to be was Montana. When it was 30 miles an hour winds. It was probably 15 degrees with a chill factor around zero. I didn't have much clothes on, you're pretty much in costume. It's not like you can throw on a big old jacket or anything like that. I think that was probably the toughest time. Not only for us, but then the animals don't respond well in that sort of situation, especially with the wind. So when you're having to traverse a cliffside or you have to run wide open and you have to stop on a mark and deliver lines on a horse. Those things can be challenging when it's when the elements are like that. 

McGraw would also go on to discuss his first time on screen with his wife, Faith Hill, and what he learned from working with her in this new professional role. 

TM: We know each other pretty well. We've been married for 25 years, so it's hard to discover anything new about each other. I always knew she was talented and always knew that she could do anything, but watching her work on this film, I discovered a whole new side of just how talented she is, just how professional she is, what she brings to the table, and how she elevates everyone around her, including me when she's on set and she's doing her work. Everybody sort of dials it up a notch because they want to keep up with her because she's just that good. At the same time, she's so humble about it. She's always sort of the mother to everybody on set. She's the perfect woman. 

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