‘1923’ star Helen Mirren on telling the Dutton family story: ‘it’s a journey into the unknown’

Helen Mirren is 1923′s Cara Dutton, and her character is a powerful and robust Dutton matriarch, and rightfully so. As the leader of an early branch of the family tree, Cara has been up against a slew of trying situations and difficult circumstances; having to be an unbeatable force in the face of turmoil and loss, she’s a force to be reckoned with, and it’s been an incredible journey so far.

With the conclusion of the first season of 1923, we saw less resolution than fans hoped for, but we weren’t surprised. Taylor Sheridan loves to leave us with a cliffhanger in between chapters of his story, and Mirren is reflecting upon the first storyline for the family and what it meant for her to be an integral part of it.

Speaking to Deadline, Mirren said that the journey of becoming Cara Dutton is a voyage into the mysterious.

“It’s interesting. Doing this sort of work is a journey into the unknown. We have the first four episodes, and we don’t know what’s going to happen in the next four. I’m fascinated to see where Cara is going to go. Taylor did say she is very much of her era; she’s looking after the house. That is what her job is. But then he said, ‘Wait, things are going to happen.’ So we’ll see.”

In fact, when we first greet Cara Dutton, she’s in the middle of the woods, screaming at the top of her lungs to whoever will listen. It’s not a request or a tirade in anger; it’s simply a shout into the void with a desperate plea to find meaning in this life. Mirren says that, as people, we’ve all likely experienced a moment when we’re in the middle of nowhere and allow ourselves to lose it. For Mirren personally, that guttural moan at the heavens usually comes on a rainy night, “On a rainy night in Manhattan when I absolutely can’t find a cab. That’s when I feel like screaming to the heavens, ‘Why, God, why?‘”

We can all relate to that.

Mirren also spoke with Deadline about what she calls the most exciting scene of the series so far, and it certainly ranks high on the list for fans as well. Not only was it one of the most powerful of the season, but it also changed the trajectory of the Dutton family’s path in a significant way. It drew lines in the sand; it was the force for Spencer finally come to terms with the idea that he needed to make it home. In addition to a powerhouse moment, Mirren also loved a scene that gave a different perspective of the Dutton family and the times they lived in.

“Well, the ambush was pretty exhilarating because of the number of stunt people, the way the whole thing was set up. There was another scene that I absolutely loved that involved a drone. It wasn’t a scene, but a drone shot of me driving the buggy through the mountains. They didn’t want to have any camera crew or anyone. It was just raw countryside, with me and my buggy and two guys on horses. We were in the middle of nowhere. Also, shooting in downtown Butte, which is a town built in this era. Architecturally, it’s perfect for our needs. Seeing those streets with people in costumes and the horses and buggies and period cars, it was just like history come to life.”

One of the most fascinating things about the Yellowverse is that Sheridan tells stories of fictitious characters in authentic ways; he’s not selling some outrageous journey that would never play out in a realm of consciousness; he’s suggesting that these characters might have existed, might exist today — and he’s doing so without ever trying to pull a veil over our eyes in his favor. It’s a nod to his talent as a creator and to every person who works on the cast and crew in the Yellowverse.

When we see Cara and Jacob Dutton again in 1923, we’ll undeniably be getting a look at a family unit that is still on the hunt for the good, still working towards their version of happily ever after, and seemingly still far from it. Here’s to the path forward; here’s hoping they find it.