1883, the highly anticipated Yellowstone spinoff, has a blockbuster cast, including Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Sam Elliott, and Billy Bob Thornton, but one new star-in-the-making holds her own against these stellar actors.
Isabel May plays young Elsa Dutton, teenage daughter of James and Margaret (portrayed by Tim and Faith). Elsa also serves as the narrator for the series, offering an unexpected perspective. She's an optimist with a rebellious spirit and defies gender stereotypes of the time. She also lends her narrating talents to the next installment in the Yellowstone universe, 1923.
Isabel says of her role, "I think Elsa's someone that can't be dishonest. She has this pure, in the beginning naive, spirit. She's so alive, and she appreciates everything to such a degree. It's a perspective that we've never seen in a Western, and it makes it all the more interesting when she's so in love with her surroundings. And the backdrop to that is how difficult that experience was. It's this contrast between the beauty of the world that she sees and the hardship and the reality of it. And that brings the series to life in a new way."
The 22-year-old actress considers herself fortunate to be in this role. She says, "I'm lucky to be a part of it. I don't really know how I've had this opportunity. It's difficult to find such depth and growth in a character especially at her age, considering the genre as well, being a Western it's usually from a male perspective."
This role may be groundbreaking, but Isabel is not new to the small screen. In fact, you may recognize her from some recent shows. The California native first found fame as Katie Cooper in the Netflix show Alexis & Katie, which had a three-season run. She also has a recurring role as Veronica Duncan on the CBS sitcom Young Sheldon. In 2022, she appeared in the rom-com I Want You Back alongside Scott Eastwood, Jami Gertz, Gina Rodriguez, and Jenny Slate. Up next, she's scheduled to appear in The Smack with Kathy Bates and Marisa Tomei.
1883 streams on Paramount+. Episodes are now airing each Sunday night on Paramount Network, beginning on June 18.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers gift guides, product reviews, crafts, and TV shows like Yellowstone. She’s currently stitching up a cross-stitch pattern for the magazine’s next issue
