1923 star Brandon Sklenar reveals that he filmed the toughest scene of his career on the Yellowstone prequel spinoff series. Sklenar stars as Spencer Dutton, the youngest son of 1883 main characters, James (Tim McGraw) and Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill), who lives in Africa as a hunter following his tour in World War I. During a whirlwind romance with British socialite Alexandra “Alex” (Julia Schlaepfer), he learns of an attack on his family by angry ranchers, leaving his brother dead and his uncle severely wounded. This tragic news spurns Spencer and Alex’s desperate attempt to get to Montana.
While on The Official Yellowstone Podcast Sklenar shared what he considered is the toughest scene he ever had to film in his career. During 1923 episode 6, Spencer and Alex book passage on a tugboat to the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the ship’s captain dies during his watch and the vessel is capsized by a ghost ship, leaving the couple stranded in the sea. Sklenar admitted that the amount of swimming in the episode was physically exhausting, calling it “one of the toughest things” he’s ever had to do for a production. Read what the actor had to say below:
“Episode 6, all the swimming — man, that was tough. That was definitely the toughest thing I’ve done on a project hands down. I mean one of the toughest things I’ve done in general. I’m in pretty decent shape and we swam a lot going into to that and it was hard because the water was cold and it was pretty chilly outside and what ends up being in the show is a few minutes but we did that for four days.”
What to Expect for Spencer in 1923 Season 1 Finale
Prior to the tugboat capsizing and the difficult swimming scene, Spencer managed to send out a distress call. The S.S. Lambridge received the mayday and was able to reach the two before they succumbed to the elements. After facing certain death multiple times within the past few months, Spencer and Alex agree to have the Lambridge’s captain marry them on the ship.
Episode 7 sees the newlyweds arrive in Italy on their latest stop during Spencer’s long journey home. With time to kill, they hope for a relaxing moment of respite. However, Spencer and Alex are interrupted by the new bride’s ex-fiancee. His inopportune appearance will add significant drama in the 1923 season finale.
Alex’s ex-fiancee’s arrival in Italy, reuniting with the woman he thought he would spend the rest of his life, may result in conflict that could bring him to blows with Spencer. With 1923 season 1 finale streaming Sunday on Paramount+, audiences do not have to wait much longer for the dramatic conclusion of the hit Yellowstone season and how it sets up season 2.
