It was always a given that the western drama “1883” would be a massive success. Not only is the series created by “Yellowstone” boss Taylor Sheridan, but it stars Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, and western legend Sam Elliott. Even so, the supporting cast of newcomers is equally talented.
Actor Isabel May, in particular, steals the show as Elsa Dutton, the optimistic narrator of the series. The star explained to CinemaBlend that telling the series through the perspective of a young girl provides a necessary contrast to the “really, really tragic, incredibly difficult life-altering journey” of her family. Elsa’s perspective in the series only heightens the theme of family and banding together when the going gets tough. According to the star, cultivating a realistic dynamic with the other actors wasn’t difficult at all.
Moreover, May said it didn’t take “much to fall in love with everyone in [the ‘1883’] cast.” Naturally, this included Hill and McGraw, who portrayed her parents, Margaret and James.
According to Isabel May, her relationship with Tim McGraw and Faith Hill is as strong as Elsa’s relationship with James and Margaret. “I think there’s just a connection that we had right off the bat,” May explained. “It took very little to care deeply about [McGraw], and to feel this paternal kind of warmth emanating from him.” She chalked this up to McGraw being a doting dad to three daughters in real life. May continued, “Tim’s a pretty remarkable man, and I feel very lucky to be performing alongside him.”
Of course, the actor didn’t leave Hill out. In an appearance on Entertainment Tonight, she called the duo “family,” gushing, “They’re such beautiful souls, and they’ve taken such good care of me and looked out for me like they are my parents.”
May clearly has adoring things to say about the iconic couple, but is the admiration a one-way street?
McGraw and Hill saw their daughters in Isabel May
As it turns out, those familial feelings are mutual. Discussing the heartbreaking finale of “1883,” Tim McGraw and Faith Hill revealed that their relationship with Isabel May offscreen as well as their role as parents to three daughters made filming certain scenes difficult. SPOILER ALERT: In a tragic twist, Elsa succumbs to an injury to her liver, dying in her father’s arms.
“The hardest part [of filming], I think, was to not be emotional too early,” McGraw said in an interview with Variety alongside Hill. “Both of our characters are really strong people and wanted to be strong for our family. So that was the hardest thing for us, because we do have daughters and because Isabella, when we first walked on set and saw her, we said, ‘My gosh, she looks she could be one of our daughters.’” According to Hill, the emotional investment they had in the series became so intense they could hardly read the script to the finale, admitting she “couldn’t catch [her] breath” as she was overcome with tears.
While Elsa’s fate is sealed, May’s isn’t. Given their real-life bond, perhaps another project will bring the trio back together.