Tim McGraw Opens Up About His Role in "1883" And The "Gratifying Experience"
Taylor Sheridan's "Yellowstone" universe is expanding!
Paramount+ recently announced that Academy Award winner Helen Mirren and critically acclaimed actor Harrison Ford will star in "1932," the next installment of the "Yellowstone" origin story. The highly anticipated prequel follows the record-breaking performance of "1883," which features country legends Tim McGraw and wife Faith Hill.
In "1883," TV- fanatics witnessed James Dutton (Tim McGraw), Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), and Elsa Dutton (Isabel May) escape poverty by traveling from Fort Worth, Texas, to Montana with settlers to create a flourishing life.
The next "Yellowstone" origin story will introduce a new generation of the Dutton family. It will explore the "early twentieth century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition, and the Great Depression all plague the mountain west, and the Duttons who call it home," according to a press release about the forthcoming binge.
Since speculations are beginning to swirl about Mirren and Ford playing the country couples character's in the spinoff, McGraw sat down with Big Machine Label Group (May 31) to discuss his role and what it was like to partake in Paramount's most-watched title.
"1883" becoming a global phenomenon does not surprise the "Humble And Kind" singer, as he told BMLG that the entire cast gave it their all while filming the series.
"I learned that you can work through being really tired, cause it beat us up pretty good. It was a lot of hard work, but it was such a gratifying experience," he said with confidence. "I think more than anything, the hard work from the crew, the hard work from the actors, I learned that it's one of those things that you can't show up and expect to be good. You have to put the work in, and you have to put your heart and soul into something like that."
McGraw strongly believes that his role as James Dutton in "1883," has turned him into a better artist.
"I've always felt like I've done that with every project that I've ever done, but I also think every project I've done outside of music has made me a better musician," he added.
Despite the long hours on set and the challenging undertakings in the wilderness, the label asked what he would miss the most about playing the father figure in the hit television show.
"Mmmm … probably not talking as much, because he was a man a few words, and I kinda like that," he uttered while laughing.
"1883" served as the first time McGraw and Hill have acted together. Before the two agreed to the roles of James and Margaret Dutton, they knew the show would be a difficult project to take on.
"I remember we were sitting on our patio, and I looked at Faith, and I told her, 'Once we sign [the contract], we are no longer the boss anymore," the hitmaker told NPR WBEZ Chicago. "We're hired help.It's going to be really hard work.' And it was: It was 14-hour days, six days a week, and we probably got three hours of sleep a night."
Once the papers were signed, the husband-wife duo packed their bags and left for "cowboy camp." During the hands-on training, the cast learned the fundamentals of "pioneer living." McGraw revealed that he was comfortable saddling up on a horse, but driving a wagon left him in a tizzy.
"I grew up in Louisiana, and my step dad was a cowboy, so I could ride before I could walk. But the wagon driving was something completely different. I'd never done that before, and Faith had to do that the most," he shared with the outlet before going into detail about a rough scene."[Faith] was driving that wagon across the river, and it was probably 36 degrees out, freezing cold. I was up to ... my waist and on the horse in water. And it was probably 3:30 in the morning, and it was our 25th wedding anniversary when we did that scene," he concluded.
Although it remains unclear if McGraw and Hill will be making a return to the small screen, "1932" will premiere in December of 2022. The highly anticipated series will stream exclusively on Paramount+.
