Paramount1923 turned out to be a worthy spinoff to the flagship Yellowstone series — here’s everyone you need to know in the cast, including the actors and the characters they play.
As the Duttonverse continued to expand, 1923 proved to be Yellowstone’s lion-killin’, Jazz Age-lovin’ little brother. The show boasts two powerhouse leads and has become another hit for the franchise, serving as an integral step in Taylor Sheridan’s growing small screen Western universe.
While we wait for news on the delayed 1923 Season 2 release date, there’s still plenty to learn. For one, this installment in the Yellowstone timeline has some major players with iconic careers.
As the Dutton family tree continues to grow, they only get cooler and cooler.
Cara Dutton: Helen Mirren
Paramount+Helen Mirren plays Cara Dutton in the 1923 cast, the wife to Jacob Dutton and family matriarch. She’s strong-willed and admirable, taking over the ranch when her husband is temporarily unable to run things. While people might underestimate her, she shows her strength and adaptability several times over throughout the series.
Mirren is one of the finest actors ever known. Her filmography is packed with films like Calendar Girls, The Queen, The Tempest, and (of course) the Fast and the Furious franchise. With a Best Actress Oscar under her belt and a career packed with incredible performances, she is a formidable force in the 1923 cast.
Jacob Dutton: Harrison Ford
Paramount+Harrison Ford plays Jacob Dutton, the patriarch of the Yellowstone ranch, husband to Cara Dutton and brother of James Dutton. Calm-tempered and wise, Jacob keeps a close eye on his family and his brother’s home. While he doesn’t always understand the changing world around him, he always does what’s best for his loved ones, and will put a stop to anyone who tries to bring them down.
Harrison Ford is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. With a career leading movies like Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and pretty much every top-tier action thriller, he’s perhaps the most famous Duttons to date. (Sorry, Kevin Costner.)
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Spencer Dutton: Brandon Sklenar
Paramount+Brandon Sklenar plays Spencer Dutton in 1923, Jacob Dutton’s nephew, and John Dutton Sr.’s brother. After surviving World War I, Spencer traveled to Africa, where he hunts lions and makes a living knowing the ways of the wild. It’s here where he meets his future wife, Alexandra, and also learns of the troubling times the Yellowstone ranch is going through back in America.
1923 is Sklenar’s largest project to date, though he has appeared in many other movies and TV shows. From New Girl to Westworld, he’s been around, and he most recently starred in the highly-anticipated book adaptation of It Ends With Us in 2024.
Alexandra: Julia Schlaepfer
Paramount+Julia Schlaepfer plays Alexandra, a British woman who meets Spencer Dutton in Africa. Although she’s engaged to another man, she can’t help but be drawn in by Spencer’s alluring and wild ways. As such, she makes the decision to throw away her privileged life and run away with him into the dangerous unknown.
Aside from 1923, Julia Schlaepfer has also appeared on shows such as American Horror Stories, The Politician, and Madam Secretary.
Banner Creighton: Jerome Flynn
Paramount+Jerome Flynn plays Banner Creighton in 1923, “a hard-headed Scot with a brogue and the leader of the local sheep men.” For the majority of the series, he serves as the main foe of the Dutton family, and hopes to throw them out of their powerful position in Montana.
Most would recognize Jerome Flynn for playing Bronn in Game of Thrones, but he’s also appeared in Black Mirror, John Wick: Chapter 3, and Ripper Street.
Jack Dutton: Darren Mann
Paramount+Darren Man plays Jack Dutton in 1923, John Dutton Sr.’s son and great nephew to Jacob Dutton. He is a dedicated rancher who is deeply loyal to his family. He’s also incredibly committed to his bride-to-be, Liz. Young and often brazen, Jack has a lot to learn about what it takes to run the Yellowstone ranch.
1923 has been Darren Man’s biggest role to date, but he’s also starred in the likes of Van Helsing, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Animal Kingdom.
Elsa Dutton: Isabel May
ParamountWhile we don’t technically see Elsa Dutton in 1923, she does serve as the show’s narrator. This makes it a spiritual companion to the other Yellowstone prequel series 1883, as Elsa was the protagonist of that series. She’s actually a very, very important part of the Yellowstone puzzle (if you know, you know). Clearly, her adventurous spirit lives on throughout the changing times of the roaring ’20s.
Isabel May plays Elsa Dutton in the 1923 cast, as well as serving as the prequel’s narrator throughout the series. May also portrayed Dutton in 1883. Isabel May also starred in Netflix’s Alexa and Katie, Run Hide Fight, and appeared in episodes of Young Sheldon.
Teonna Rainwater: Aminah Nieves
ParamountAminah Nieves plays Teonna Rainwater, a young Indigenous woman at the School for American Indians in Montana. Undergoing such a terrifying and unforgivable experience doesn’t stop Teonna from fighting back, and she spends the first season battling against those who try their hardest to keep her and her people oppressed.
Aminah Nieves is a relative newcomer to the industry, having starred in a few short and independent movies, with 1923 being her biggest role to date. However, considering her importance in the Rainwater legacy, expect to see her return in 1923 Season 2.
Elizabeth “Liz” Strafford: Michelle Randolph
ParamountMichelle Randolph plays Elizabeth Strafford, a feisty and capable young woman set to marry into the Dutton family. She’s very much in love with her husband-to-be, Jack, and dedicates herself to living with the Duttons on the ranch. Smart and strong, Liz is certainly a fitting addition to the ranching family.
1923 is Randolph’s biggest role to date, but she’ll be returning to our screens in another Taylor Sheridan series: Landman. It seems that once you join the Yellowstone family, there’s a good chance you’re in it for the long haul.
John Dutton Sr.: James Badge Dale
Paramount+James Badge Dale plays John Dutton Sr., the oldest nephew and right-hand man of Jacob Dutton. If you’ve seen 1883, you’ll remember him as a little boy travelling with his family and the European convoy. He and his son Jack work on the ranch to help Jacob keep the family legacy going after their father and mother passed away.
Aside from playing an integral part of the Dutton family, James Badge Dale can also be found in the likes of Law & Order: SVU, CSI: The Departed, The Pacific, Shame, The Grey, and Flight. He’s also in Iron Man 3 and World War Z, making his action-packed resume one of the coolest on this list.
Sister Mary: Jennifer Ehle
ParamountJennifer Ehle plays Sister Mary, a notorious Irish nun who teaches at the school for American Indians in Montana. She is merciless and seems to take pleasure in torturing Teonna and the other girls there, using every opportunity she can to inflict horrific and violent punishment. She particularly despises Teonna, who shows strength and resilience against her.
Jennifer Ehle is a familiar face, indeed. You’ll have seen her in one of her many projects from the ’90s and beyond, including her turn as Elizabeth Bennet in the now iconic 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice. After this, she was in Sunshine, The King’s Speech, Zero Dark Thirty, Fifty Shades of Grey, and Saint Maud.
Emma Dutton: Marley Shelton
Paramount+Marley Shelton plays Emma Dutton, the dutiful wife of John Dutton Sr. and the mother of Jack Dutton. She plays a large role in the ranch in Season 1, until her husband dies and she falls into a pit of grief and despair. Her story ends when she takes her own life, unable to life without John.
You’ll probably recognise Shelton from movies like Pleasantville, Uptown Girls, Death Proof, and Scream 4. She’s also appeared in TV shows like Mad Men, Dirty John, and Tracker.
Runs His Horse: Michael Spears
ParamountMichael Spears plays Runs His Horse, the chief of the Broken Rock Reservation. He’s absent for most of the first season, but plays an important role as Teonna’s father. After she escapes, her first mission is to track him down, which she does with the help of Pete Plenty Clouds and his father, Hank. When they’re reunited, Runs His Horse takes Teonna under his wing.
Spears’ first role was in the Oscar-winning Dances With Wolves. He also starred in the Steven Spielberg miniseries Into the West, and also appeared in Hulu’s Reservation Dogs.
Donald Whitfield: Timothy Dalton
Paramount+Timothy Dalton stars as Donald Whitfield, a powerful man who runs most of Montana with his wealth. He enlists Banner as a henchman in his mission to win over the Dutton Ranch. This brings him to blows with the Duttons. He has a strong eye for money-making, and manages to get one-up on the family by paying off their taxes for two years.
As an ex-Bond actor, Timothy Dalton doesn’t need much introduction. He starred in some of the best movies in the franchise, such as The Living Daylights and License to Kill, and also appeared in Flash Gordon and Hot Fuzz. 1923 isn’t his first TV role, as he also starred in Doctor Who, Penny Dreadful, and The Crown.
That’s everything we know about the cast of 1923. For more Western drama, check out the shows to watch if you love Yellowstone, find out everything there is to know about the main Yellowstone cast, and see what other Taylor Sheridan shows & movies are worth watching.