“Wild and deep,” he says Elizabeth May. And we don’t know if she talks about “1883”the acclaimed Paramount + series of which she is the protagonist or Elsa Dutton, the daughter of a family of pioneers who crosses the West in search of a better future played by her.
It’s hard to believe that this 21-year-old Californian actress manages to thrill global audiences with a genre as American as the western and a period character. But she is one of those actresses who go beyond the hoop skirt, perhaps that is why she is at the top of all the lists of new promises in cinema. She earned it with her role as Elsa, the Dutton’s teenage daughter, played by the musicians. Faith Hill and Tim McGrawcouple also in real life.
In “1883”, a prequel to “Yellowstone”the acclaimed western starring Kevin Costner, its creator Taylor Sheridan (responsible for both series and also “Mayor of Kingstown”, all can be seen at Paramount+, as well as an Oscar-nominated screenwriter for “Hell Or High Water”) has two luxuries: redefine a genre whose reins have always been in the hands of male characters and discover a potential star like Isabel May. Although he had already starred in other series such as “Alexia & Katie” (Netflix), he finds the role of his life with this brave, brave and moving girl.
He likes eating what his mother cooks for him more than going to restaurants and he laughs when he confesses it. She discovered a thousand stories about immigrants while sharing with her classmates a camp that prepared her in the art of becoming a cowgirl prior to the filming of “1883”, she did poorly in a Sheridan casting but two days later they offered her this character that he changed everything, he dreams that he directs it Cameron Crowe and would like to work with Willem Defoe. He is on the right track, in this series he acts as an equal with Sam Elliot, an emblem of cinema. Isabel as Elsa, she is a force of nature and she shows it in this exclusive heads up with NEWS.
News: “1883” is a western and that film genre is usually approached from a male perspective. In that sense, do you consider that Elsa, her character as narrator and protagonist of the series, is revolutionary?
Elizabeth May: Yes absolutely! The western has always been inclined to tell very masculine stories and here is a young woman experimenting in a world alien to her. That trip to the West was incredible, strong, deep and moving, I am tremendously grateful to have been part of it.
News: Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, who play their parents, are country music legends and a real-life couple. What was it like playing the daughter of such a marriage?
May: I loved it, but to be honest I didn’t know that they were tremendous figures until I met them and that’s when I discovered everything. I said, “Oh well, they are music legends!” (Serie). But I understood it in its full dimension after filming the series, it took me a little while to realize their stardom because they are so loving, humble and generous that I really treasure that experience of working with them.
News: After seeing everything your character goes through, a question arises: for a Californian like you, was it more difficult to ride a horse or learn to shoot with a rifle?
May: Wow, what a question! Let’s see… with this I’m sure, the hardest part was riding a horse. Because I tell you that it was quite an issue with the horses on the set, it was done with great care and responsibility. I didn’t get to use as many weapons, but I had to build a lot.
News: And did you end up liking it? Because the relationship between the cowboy and his horse is almost one of love in the western…
May: Yes, obviously before I trained as much as I could and the truth is that I was surprised because I turned out to be a much better rider than I thought, that was great. But it is that when you are on top of a horse chased by another, you feel tremendous fear! Especially if the animals are tired. It was definitely a challenge from those.
News: If we talk about challenges, one of the biggest must have been working together with sam elliot, who besides being a magnificent actor is the last great cowboy of cinema. How was that experience?
May: Sam is the best thing that can happen to you. He hooks you from the start, he looks you straight in the eye and he’s always genuinely interested in what everyone else has to say, no matter who he is. It really moves me and I’m so appreciative of having had the chance to see how he conducts himself on set…he’s such a classy guy with such a gift for people. I keep that gentleman in my heart because he has a characteristic that is not used so much anymore, he is a gentle man with all that the word implies.
News: Although the western is a classic genre, for us cowboy movies are a very American thing. How do you feel the series is received in other countries in this world now that the platforms bring entertainment to a global audience?
May: What I find interesting is that this journey that “1883” takes is not just an American story but a story about immigration and what it means to be an immigrant. In that sense, there are many situations with which we can feel identified living in any part of the world and accompanying both my character, Elsa, and her family. It is also an opportunity for other audiences to discover different stories of the West, I think there is enough to explore there.
News: Let’s explore this anecdote then, could it be that you have a favorite fragrance for a very particular reason? Let’s say I found out there…
May: I confess that it is true. If we talk about perfumes, I love a delicious one, floral, unctuous, divine… but it’s my favorite because I stole it from my mom.
