Sumith Prasad
Created by Taylor Sheridan, Paramount+’s Western series ‘1923’ is a prequel to ‘Yellowstone,’ following the Duttons during the 1920s, exploring the family’s survival which is threatened by Prohibition and the Great Depression. The series revolves around Jacob Dutton, the brother of James Dutton, who established the Yellowstone Dutton Ranch in Montana. The series also features Jack Dutton and John Dutton Sr., the grandfather and great-grandfather of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton III respectively. Since the characters of ‘1923’ and ‘Yellowstone’ are closely connected, the viewers must be wondering whether the favorite characters of the latter will feature in the former, starting with Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton. So, will we see Beth in the prequel show? Let’s find out!
Is Kelly Reilly in 1923?
As of yet, there are no reports or statements released by Paramount+, Taylor Sheridan, or Kelly Reilly suggesting the actress or the actress’ portrayal of Beth Dutton will be in ‘1923.’ Timeline-wise, ‘1923’ is set in the titular year. The chances of flashforwards to the present time being a part of the show’s narrative for Reilly to play Beth are little to none. Since Beth Dutton must have been born in the 1970s, the character doesn’t have any scope to feature in the prequel show that revolves around the Duttons’ saga in the 1920s. However, Reilly had expressed her wish to be in the show.
“I just found out about this [‘1923’] yesterday, and I wanna be in it,” Reilly told ET in May 2022 while attending Paramount’s 2022 upfronts presentation. But the actress made it clear that there isn’t any possibility of that happening right away. “Which is impossible. But they’re my ancestors. I mean, it started with Tim [McGraw] and Faith [Hill] and Isabel [May],” the actress added. Even though Reilly revealed that it is impossible for her to be a part of the cast of ‘1923,’ one may not need to lose all hope.
Since Reilly had expressed her wish to be a part of the new show, she may join the prequel series in a guest capacity to play a guest character rather than Beth. But let us remind the readers that neither Reilly nor Sheridan had indicated that the actress will join ‘1923’ to play such a new character. Regardless of whether Reilly will be a part of the show or not, the actress wished the best for Helen Mirren, who is headlining the cast of the show with Harrison Ford by playing the Dutton matriarch Cara Dutton.
“Helen Mirren is someone who I did my very, very first TV job [with] called ‘Prime Suspect’ when I was 16 years old,” Reilly said in the same ET interview. “She was the first professional actor I worked with […] She was fierce, brilliant, and everything I wanted to be as an actor. You know, full of courage and heart. And the fact that she is such a big fan of the Yellowstone universe and the writing… and the fact that she is now gonna be playing one of Beth Dutton’s ancestors… it’s a really sweet thing and I’m so excited to see it,” Reilly added.
Thus, to conclude, the chances of Reilly being a part of the cast of ‘1923,’ either to play a new character or Beth, are extremely low. Still, we can be hopeful that her wish to appear in ‘1923’ may motivate Sheridan to conceive a character for her.
