Sam Elliott Made a Big Change Ahead of ‘1883’ Premiere
Sam Elliott is almost unrecognizable in a new picture taken ahead of the Season 1 premiere of 1883 later this year. The show is thought to be currently filming in Fort Worth, Texas, and Elliott will star alongside Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in the Yellowstone prequel.
Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan's wife Nic Sheridan shared a photo of herself with Elliott via Instagram. They're casually relaxing on a Sunday, possibly while on set. She's wearing an 1883 baseball cap, but you can be excused for missing it, because the famously mustachioed, short-haired Elliott is alongside her, looking quite different.
See for yourself:
On the show, Elliott is going to play Shea Brennan, a "tough-as-nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past." His character is leading a migration from Texas to Montana. The original Duttons — James and Margaret, played by McGraw and Hill — are part of that group, too. On Yellowstone, Kevin Costner plays John Dutton, who would be James and Margaret's great-grandson.
The premiere date for 1883 is unknown, with a trailer released in February saying it'd come in 2021. When announcing the new cast members, Paramount+ didn't say anything to re-enforce that timeline. Season 4 of Yellowstone is thought to be delayed some, now premiering in the fall, but it's not clear how or if this will affect 1883.
Fans of Elliott's may recognize the man in this picture. Yes, that is his real hair and yes, he's done this before. In the 2007 film Ghost Rider, Elliott played a caretaker, and cameras caught him on several red carpets with his hair down or in a quasi-man bun.
The famed actor is not the only one who has changed his physical appearance for the 19th century setting — McGraw revealed that he's growing a beard to suit his character: