1923’s Brandon Sklenar ‘threw shade’ at co-stars as he shares ‘competitiveness’ off-camera
Brandon Sklenar has quickly become a 1923 fan-favourite in the handful of episodes he’s starred as Spencer Dutton in.
Yellowstone’s latest prequel 1923 is currently on a hiatus after airing just four episodes of the Duttons’ family history but that hasn’t stopped Paramount+ viewers from growing fond of the show’s characters. War veteran-turned-big game hunter Spencer Dutton (played by Brandon Sklenar) happens to be just one of them alongside the likes of Harrison Ford’s Jacob Dutton and Helen Mirren’s Cara Dutton.
Spencer has been on a gripping journey of his own across Africa in his new job as a game hunter.
Over the first few episodes of 1923, viewers watched his blossoming romance with Brit, Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer), unfold while completely in the dark about what his family were facing back home.
It wasn’t until episode four when Alexandra read the many letters that Cara had sent him that the dire events of what was unfolding in Montana hit Spencer.
Spencer learned about the attacks orchestrated by Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) on his family, which resulted in John Dutton Sr’s (James Badge Dale) death and Jacob’s battle for recovery.
The news hit the typically hardened Spencer deeply, especially when he discovered the letter was sent three months prior.
When episode five and the rest of 1923 arrives back on Paramount+, fans will undoubtedly be keen to see Spencer interact with his family for the first time.
While this will be the first fans have gotten to see the rugged Dutton reunite with his loved ones, Sklenar and the rest of the cast already know each other well.
As is typical with many of showrunner Taylor Sheridan’s western dramas, Sklenar and the other cast members had to attend the famous “cowboy camp”.
And while Sklenar and the rest of his 1923 co-stars’ chemistry is no small part of what has made the series a success, the actor has admitted it didn’t come with a bit of friendly rivalry off-camera.
Sheridan’s “cowboy camp” puts actors to the test on an intensive crash course and learning all there is to know about wrangling in order to make the action on-screen as authentic as possible.
“Oh, it definitely gets competitive,” Sklenar said of his behaviour during the camp.
“I was painting myself out to be a saint here, but I definitely throw some shade.
“I’d throw some shade during the wrangling competitions,” Skelnar added to Collider about his off-screen antics.
He continued: “We’d wrangle cattle, and we’d do these games.
“The last week or two, when everyone started getting comfortable, there was definitely some … People were messing with each other, for sure.”
Sklenar also revealed that the cast of 1923 was the first group of actors under Sheridan’s tutelage where “no one fell off their horse”.
Sadly the same can’t be said for the casts of some of Sheridan’s other Yellowstone series.
Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe so far has expanded to 1883, a fifth season of the flagship drama, 1923 and there’s even an 1883 spin-off in the works, titled Bass Reeves.
Paramount clearly backs Sheridan’s creativity with the writer’s other hit series Mayor of Kingstown and Tulsa King also dominating the streaming world.