EXCLUSIVE: Faith Hill Talks her Husband, Tim McGraw, Isabel May, & her New Show, 1883
As the matriarch to the Dutton Family, Faith Hill’s Margaret in Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 is a no nonsense woman, just like her descendant, Yellowstone’s Beth Dutton. We got the chance to sit down with Hill to discuss her character, working with her husband, and her new Paramount+ show.
On Margaret’s relationship with her daughter, Elsa [Isabel May]: “I think the women of that time, I say this time, because we’re still in it, we’re still working and filming. When you decide to take a journey across a land that you have possibly read about. And of course the newspapers did not come, every day back in that time period. But when you’re going and following a dream across a land that you really don’t know that much about, you learn to do things quickly because most decisions that are made the things that happen along the trail, along this journey. Yes. There’s beauty, there’s love, but there is great, great loss as well. And there is so much danger in more ways than you can possibly imagine. So the lessons that you have to learn, like in real time, it’s about survival. And I think that just kind of breeds into a family, characters, and just a generation of survival. It would be the equivalent for my parents growing up in the depression, there are certain things, I always say this about my mom, she could take a penny and make a dollar. And it’s because of the way that she grew up in the depression.”
On whether or not she was approached first to join the cast or if her husband, Tim McGraw, was: “I don’t recall exactly. I would imagine he [Tim] was probably approached first, because he had a relationship with Taylor. We had met Taylor, spent a little time with him. Tim had spoken to him more. I think we received the first episode at the same time. But in terms of your question, I’m pretty sure he probably knew first about it. And then I was asked if I would be interested. And the first thing I said was, which was a stupid thing to say for a Taylor Sheridan show, is ‘Can I read it?’ It’s like, duh, it’s going to be amazing, but to say yes to something especially after we’ve been doing this for so long. And Tim and I have been approached to do things together on film before. So it needed to be many things. After reading the script, it was just like, there’s no way that we could ever pass this up. The writing is just so remarkable. And the strength, the character that Isabel plays, Elsa, in the show, is our daughter. And wow. Just to have never, ever read a character, a female character, so strong, such a young age, that period, any period really. Yeah, we said yes and so glad for it. We knew it was going to be hard. We were warned multiple times by Taylor, all of us were, but it is most definitely been worth it.”
On whether she feels pressure knowing she is portraying a female character often not see on TV or film: “It was no pressure to portray because that’s exactly how they were, they had to be that way. It was a matter of life and death and the things that they saw. The blessing is the fact that something is written, so it can be portrayed. So we can bring these characters to life. But women back then, let me tell you. Wow. Woo. Another level. Another level. And I will say too, and the people that have helped train us for this, the Wranglers, there are a couple of female stunt women and Wranglers that just can put the man to shame. They’re badass.
On the challenges of doing a series as big as 1883: “The challenge, I haven’t really thought about it as being the biggest thing I’ve ever done. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Tim will say the same thing. Just because physically, mentally, Taylor made it very clear to all of us that we will be depicting this. This will be filmed and we will be depicting this as if we are really living this life. And that’s the only way to bring this incredible story to life. So that’s the only… I feel that’s no pressure. It’s just been physically challenging and mentally challenging, but all the other side, honestly, it’s just, we’ve just been in the present”
The next new episode of 1883 will premiere on Paramount+ this coming Sunday, December 26.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Photo Cr: Emerson Miller/Paramount+