Helen Mirren is more than just a seasoned actress. After decades of acting, her name has become synonymous with brilliance, elegance, pure talent, and more. From stage to the big screen, Mirren has consistently delivered one masterclass after another. Her role in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone spin-off, 1923, is yet another legendary performance in her roster of iconic roles.
Yet, it seems even the award-winning actress has been struggling with one aspect of the acclaimed writer’s heavy-handed approach. Mirren, while talking about the upcoming season 2 of the show, revealed how she’s grown weary of the non-stop letter-writing scenes her character has in the show.
Helen Mirren Despises Writing Letters in Taylor Sheridan’s 1923
Throughout her time in the realm of acting, Helen Mirren has never been the one to shy away from challenges and complex roles. However, even the acting powerhouse seems to have reached her wit’s end thanks to Taylor Sheridan‘s writing in the Yellowstone prequel series, 1923.
Starring as Cara Dutton opposite Harrison Ford‘s Jacob Dutton, Sheridan’s 1923 has been testing Mirren’s patience in an unexpected way. While talking about her role and expectations about the series’ upcoming season 2, Mirren, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter revealed her weary frustration with ‘writing letter’s on the show.
I’m sick of writing letters. Don’t expect any more letters from me.
Stated the award-winning actress about the series set in the age of early stages of the Great Depression, drought, and more. Having accepted the role, without having read the script or knowing what character she would be portraying, it seems that even an acting legend like Helen Mirren can get cold feet due to challenging roles.
Helen Mirren Said Yes to Taylor Sheridan’s 1923 Without Reading the Script
Helen Mirren is known for her powerhouse performances and has always enjoyed creative and dynamic storytelling. So when Taylor Sheridan offered her a role in his Yellowstone prequel, 1923, she accepted it, but without reading the script. It wasn’t that she was too excited to sign up for the show, but because the script wasn’t even written.
Normally, an actor of Mirren’s caliber would usually go through the script to maintain that the material was up to her standard. Instead, she ended up saying yes after having heard of Sheridan’s writing genius and his ability to write for people instead of writing characters and then casting actors.
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t given a script. I had no idea what it was going to be. We were asked to participate, and you do what you do as an actor and say, ‘Lovely, sounds really interesting. I’d love to read the script?’ But there is no script. Taylor likes to write for the people that he knows are going to play the role. That was a combination of flattering.
While it was flattering, it was also nerve-wracking for her for she had never met the Yellowstone creator before. Fortunately, a meeting was soon arranged a script soon ended up in her hands, which she absolutely loved.
As we await news of season 2, 1923 season 1 can be streamed on Paramount+.
