What Tim McGraw Is Saying About His ‘1883’ Character, James Dutton
Tim McGraw says his role on the new Yellowstone prequel 1883 is a "dream job" that his childhood helped prepare him for. The country singer has been cast as James Dutton in 1883, slated to begin in 2021 on Paramount+.
On Wednesday (Aug. 4), McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliott were announced as the leads for the new TV show. No additional actors or characters have been named, but the show's central plot was revealed:
Elliott is set to play Shea Brennan, a tough as nails, handsome cowboy with immense sadness in his past. He has the herculean task of guiding a group from Texas to Montana, and he does not suffer fools. McGraw and Hill will portray James and Margaret Dutton, the patriarch and matriarch of the Dutton family, respectively.
Yellowstone — now entering its fourth season — is set in the modern day. Kevin Costner plays John Dutton, the gritty owner of the Yellowstone ranch, who's fighting to keep the land in his family's name. This would make James and Margaret Dutton his character's great-grandparents or great-great-grandparents.
“This is truly a dream job,” McGraw says of his role on 1883. “Taylor (creator Taylor Sheridan) has found a way of storytelling that brilliantly creates these epic dramas and family sagas with so much depth and creativity. The Duttons are tremendous characters and it’s so thrilling to be able to bring them to life."
He also took to Instagram to reveal the beard he's been growing is for this part. Fans can expect a hairier singer for the time being.
Fans of the country singer/actor recall his cowboy role in Flicka from 2006, but in a press release for 1883, he says he's been comfortable on horseback his entire life.
"As a kid growing up riding horses, you think about dream jobs like this and I am just so excited to work with this amazing cast and crew," McGraw says.
For her part, Hill says she's humbled to work with the entire 1883 team and is excited to bring a strong female like Margaret Dutton to life.
A trailer for the show (at times referred to as Y:1883) premiered during the Super Bowl in February. It offered very little in terms of plot points, but gave 2021 as a start date for the show to begin streaming on Paramount+ — get your subscription here.