Say hello to a new generation of Duttons. The new series 1923 will follow the Dutton family, led by Jacob and Cara Dutton. Darren Mann stars as Jack Dutton, and Michelle Randolph plays his soon-to-be wife Elizabeth Stafford. HollywoodLife spoke EXCLUSIVELY with Darren and Michelle about Jack and Elizabeth’s “sweet” and “innocent” relationship.
“I think Elizabeth is intrigued by Jack. She has definitely a wild side, and Jack brings that out in her. And also, the Dutton family is so big on loyalty and family, and he makes her feel safe,” Michelle revealed about why Elizabeth is drawn to Jack.
When Elizabeth marries Jack, she’ll be a part of the Dutton family. While Elizabeth grew up in Montana, she’s never been the wife of a rancher. “Her dad is a rancher, so I think she’s aware of what the way of life is. But what she comes to find out is marrying a rancher is very different than being the daughter of a rancher,” Michelle admitted. “She chooses to stay when Cara says ‘you have to choose this way of life,’ and she does choose Jack.”
Jack has never known anything other than the Dutton way of life, and he’ll go to great lengths to help his great-uncle Jacob keep it. “He loves his family a lot, and he’s definitely down to do whatever he has to do to protect it, to preserve it,” Darren said. “I think he really looks up to his uncle — well, his great-uncle Jacob — and his dad. Of course, we have a fun relationship. A little bit more of like a brother because uncle has been around raising us.”
On the other hand, Elizabeth will be looking to Cara for guidance as she navigates this next chapter of her life. “Elizabeth looks up to Cara so much because that’s what she knows she must become in order to be the wife of a rancher, and she admires Cara a lot and her strength. I think she wants to be a lot like her one day,” Michelle said.
In the midst of the action, Jack and Elizabeth’s relationship will be a core emotional focus of the series. Darren admitted that what’s “actually pretty cool about doing it in the 20s is that we don’t have all these external influences, right? So they really can be that pure at 25. Well, I’m 25… Whereas nowadays, by the time kids are whatever, there’s internet, TV, all that, so it’s pretty cool to play a period piece like this.”
The series premieres December 18 on Paramount+. Episodes will be released weekly following the premiere.
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