Taylor Sheridan's latest cowboy-themed baby—1923—takes us deeper into the first generation of the Dutton family. Though we've only seen snippets of this highly anticipated addition to the Yellowstone universe, one thing is already very clear — loyalty, tenacity and a penchant for violence runs in the family.
The roles Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) play are seemingly clear as protectors of both the ranch and the surviving members of their clan. While it's currently unclear if they have any children of their own, their nephews John (James Badge Dale) and Spencer Dutton are a key part of continuing this legacy.
Those of us who binged 1883 (the first Yellowstone spinoff) are familiar with the original John Dutton, who our beloved, grouchy John Dutton III (Kevin Costner) is presumably named after. But his brother, Spencer Dutton, is a little more of a mystery — and so is Brandon Sklenar, the actor who plays him.
Who Is Spencer Dutton?
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The circumstances in which we find this era of the Dutton family are pretty bleak. The series description tells us the show will "introduce a new generation of the Dutton family and explore the early twentieth century when pandemics, historic drought, the end of Prohibition, and the Great Depression all plague the mountain west, and the Duttons who call it home."
Yikes. It seems fighting to maintain their way of life is nothing new for the Duttons. And if combatting all of these external forces wasn't enough, this period comes just a few years after the first World War. We'll get a front-row view of the aftermath of being on that battlefield through the eyes of Spencer Dutton.
The show's creators have described him as "Jacob Dutton's (Ford) nephew and John Dutton Sr.'s (Dale) brother, who has witnessed the horrors of World War I." In other words, it seems like he's a veteran and survivor of war who must now wage a different kind of battle to protect and defend his family. There's no doubt it'll be interesting to see how he handles his responsibility as a Dutton.
Who Is Brandon Sklenar?
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1923 may boast some big, silver-screen names, but it also features a talented cast of rising stars like Brandon Sklenar. Being a part of the Dutton family tree is no simple feat, but it looks like he's up to the challenge.
Born and raised in northern New Jersey, not much is known about Sklenar's background (including his age) other than his parents' professions. There's no showbiz in his family history that we know of, as his dad worked as a carpenter and his mother was a hairdresser. He didn't follow in either of his parent's footsteps and instead followed his longtime "intense passion" for film and music.
His career in Hollywood began in 2011 with the action-crime film Cornered. From there, he went on a continuous streak of small, one-episode roles in TV series such as Truth Be Told, Dating Rules from My Future Self, and New Girl. Sklenar landed his first starring role opposite Matt Smith (who you'll know as Daemon Targaryen in the HBO series House of the Dragon) in Ondi Timoner's Mapplethorpe in 2018.
Since then, he's been on an upwards trajectory, grabbing parts in films such as Vice, Midway, and one of his most recent, Emily the Criminal. Sklenar may have also graced your screen this year playing a young Burt Reynolds in the Paramount+ mini-series The Offer or as Henry in HBO's Westworld.
And his work has not gone unnoticed. In 2022, he won Best Actor at the Vienna Independent Film Festival for Futura Days, and his role in Mapplethorpe received tons of critical acclaim. If 1923 is anything like its predecessors, we expect big things from Brandon Sklenar in the series.
Private Persona
It's no secret that many TV series and films feature stars with glamorous personal lives, but Sklenar has remained pretty low-key. We know very few details about his private life, including who he's in a relationship with or whether he is even dating at all.
The actor doesn't seem to be active on social media either. He only recently started an Instagram account that currently has three posts, all of which are promoting his new role in 1923. One even has him standing next to his TV uncle Harrison Ford with the cheeky caption: "Can't remember his name but damn, is he cool."
His most recent picture features him taking what appears to be an ice bath on set while his co-stars Caleb Martin and Darren Mann watch him through a window. Martin plays Dennis, who we don't know much about, and Mann plays Jack Dutton, the son of John Sr. and Emma Dutton.
All the unknowns surrounding Sklenar's role and off-screen life make us even more curious to see what he will bring to the series.
READ MORE: The Newest Generation of 'Yellowstone'; Duttons: A '1923' Character Guide
