One of the strengths of Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” prequel show “1923” is its combination of well-established actors and up-and-coming talent. Combined with strong writing and direction, it makes for not just a compelling watch and great performances, but for some real breakouts. One of the latter is Brandon Sklenar, who plays Spencer Dutton. Sklenar, or at least his character, has certainly gained a fanbase, as well as a league of viewers who are utterly enamored by his romance with Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer).
For someone of Sklenar’s level — an actor with some solid credits but hasn’t become a household name — working with someone as accomplished as, say, Harrison Ford, who plays Spencer’s uncle Jacob, is huge. Alas, that may have to wait. At the end of “1923” Season 1, Spencer is still somewhere off the coast of Europe, trying to make his way back to Montana so he can help Jacob and the rest of the Dutton clan save the Yellowstone ranch.
Ford and Sklenar did, however, have a chance to interact. It was at Sheridan’s famous cowboy training camp. “He’s the coolest guy,” said Sklenar during an appearance on “The Rich Eisen Show.” “I just mean he’s got such a great sense of humor, so dry. Just such a dry wit, that guy. He’s sweet.” Sklenar then described the first time he and Ford met at cowboy camp. One day, when Sklenar’s temperamental horse carried him toward the fence of the rodeo arena — against Skelnar’s orders — a baseball cap-wearing Ford hopped up to greet him. Though he initially mistook Sklenar for one of the wranglers, he seemed pleased to meet the man playing his nephew.
Brandon Sklenar and Harrison Ford: kindred archetypes?
“Probably the one thing I cling to the most from my childhood is Indy,” said Brandon Sklenar, referencing one of Harrison Ford’s best-known roles. Perhaps that should be no surprise. All of Ford’s action heroes — Han Solo, Jack Ryan, and especially Indiana Jones — bucked the then-dominant trend of the strong and silent type. Sure, Indy ran away from boulders, stole artifacts, and punched Nazis when the occasion called for it. But he also displayed a sense of humor, even sensitive sides and vulnerabilities every now and then.
Sklenar, at least in his portrayal of Spencer, is roughly in that same vein. He has spoken before about how Spencer is a kind of more vulnerable Clint Eastwood, strong and silent, but willing to be emotionally complex. On one hand, Spencer has hunted big cats and thrown an attacker over the side of an ocean liner; on the other, he’s been willing to fall in love, even letting that love bring him back to his long-estranged family.
Sklenar, and even just us here at Looper, may not be the only ones seeing this. “That dude would make a great [Indiana Jones] IMO,” commented christopher langston on the YouTube video of Sklenar’s interview. “Anyways he’s got it. [Dude’s] gonna be a star.”