10 Best Westerns Featuring the Cast of ‘1923′

Paramount+ has experienced a certified hit with Taylor Sheridan’s 1923, which stars Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. The two-season limited series is a prequel to Yellowstone and a sequel to 1883, following the Dutton family through prohibition-era Montana as the shadow of the Great Depression looms. Much like its predecessors, 1923 has been wildly successful. Critics love it and have given the show a 95% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

While some of 1923‘s actors are new to the western, half a dozen of the leads and recurring cast members are no strangers to the genre. A few already have at least one Western credit to their name, and some have multiple Westerns in their background.

10

‘Montford: The Chickasaw Rancher’ (2021)

Featuring Caleb Martin

Set in 1800s Oklahoma, the film is based on the life of real-life Chickasaw cattleman Montford T. Johnson. Directed by Nathan Frankowski (The Devil Conspiracy) with a script by Lucy Tennessee Cole, the western stars 1883 alum Martin Sensmeier in the title role of Montford T. Johnson. The movie has received favorable reviews from viewers, worth a watch without necessarily being the greatest western they’ve ever seen. The film holds a 76% rating from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.

Caleb Martin plays a hired ranch hand on 1923, and in Montford he steps into the role of Michael Campbell. It seems like Martin was destined to be in westerns. In real life, the actor has worked as a professional horse stunt rider and is a nationally ranked Team Roper at the rodeo.

9

‘The Standoff at Sparrow Creek’ (2018)

Featuring Brian Geraghty

The Standoff at Sparrow Creek is a contemporary western set in Northern Michigan, where a group of militia men take a stand at a local lumber warehouse after finding out that one of their own has committed an act of violence at a police funeral. The film is writer-director Henry Dunham’s feature debut and stars James Badge Dale (who also appeared briefly in 1923) as Gannon. It has a 78% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

On 1923, Brian Geraghty is a member of the main cast. He plays an incredibly loyal ranch hand on the Dutton property. In The Standoff at Sparrow Creek, he is cast as Noah, one of the six at the standoff. Noah is the one who brought former police officer Gannon into the militia in the first place.

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8

‘From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series’ (2014 – 2016)

Featuring Robert Patrick

Based on the vampire horror film by Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, From Dusk Till Dawn was developed by Rodriguez as a television series for Miramax. The show combines elements of the western, horror, and crime genres in a contemporary setting. D. J. Cotrona (Venom) and Zane Holtz (Riverdale) star as brothers Seth and Richie Gecko. Wanted by the FBI, the brothers flee to the Mexican border and take a family hostage, but get more than they expect when they end up at a supernaturally inclined desert strip club.

Best known as the T-1000 in Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Patrick plays 1923‘s sheriff of Gallatin County, William McDowell, who is a friend to the Dutton family. Patrick appears in 10 episodes of From Dusk Till Dawn as Jacob Fuller, the patriarch of the family that the brothers hold hostage, a former minister trying to protect his children. In the film, the character was played by Harvey Keitel (Pulp Fiction).

7

‘The Ballad of Lefty Brown’ (2017)

Featuring Michael Spears

Set in 1889 Montana, The Ballad of Lefty Brown stars Bill Pullman (The Sinner) in the title role as a frontiersman looking for vengeance after the death of a close friend. The movie is written and directed by Jared Moshe (Aporia) with a supporting cast that includes Kathy Baker (The Age of Adaline), Jim Caviezel (Person of Interest), Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy), and Peter Fonda (Easy Rider). The film has a 79% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Michael Spears has been in a number of westerns over the course of a career that spans three decades. On 1923, he plays the chief of the Broken Rock Reservation and a neighbor to the Dutton family across both seasons. In The Ballad of Lefty Brown, he appears in the supporting role of Biscuit.

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6

‘Landman’ (2024)

Featuring Michelle Randolph

Landman

4
/5

Release Date

November 17, 2024

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Landman is a contemporary western television series developed by 1923‘s own Taylor Sheridan. It is based on Christian Wallace’s 2019 podcast, Boomtown. Set among the lucrative West Texas oil fields, the Paramount+ drama stars Billy Bob Thornton (Goliath) as ambitious oil company Vice President Tommy Norris. The cast includes Ali Larter (Final Destination), Demi Moore (The Substance), and Jon Hamm (Mad Men).

Michelle Randolph plays Elizabeth Strafford, known as Liz, on 1923. Liz is engaged to be married to Jacob Dutton’s (Harrison Ford) great-nephew, rancher Jack (Darren Mann). Randolph is a main character on Landman. She appears in all 11 episodes as Ainsley Norris, Tommy’s headstrong daughter.

5

‘Into the West’ (2005)

Featuring Michael Spears

Into the West is a six-part miniseries produced by Steven Spielberg that aired on TNT. Set on the frontier between 1820 and 1980, the show explores the lives of a white settler family and a Lakota family during an age of change and tragedy in the west. It is narrated by Matthew Settle (Band of Brothers), who plays Jacob Wheeler. Other members of the cast include Steve Reevis (Fargo), Tonantzin Carmelo (NCIS Origins), Zahn McClarnon (Dark Winds), Skeet Ulrich (Scream), Alan Tudyk (3:10 to Yuma), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), and Keri Russell (The Americans).

Michael Spears plays Dog Star in three episodes, with Pony Boy Osuniga (Déjà-Vu) and Gil Birmingham (Yellowstone) portraying the character at different points in his life. Dog Star is one of Loved by the Buffalo’s older brothers. He is a Lokaota man who is reluctant to trade with white settlers for goods.

4

‘Westworld’ (2016 – 2022)

Featuring Brandon Sklenar

Westworld

Release Date

2016 – 2022-00-00

Network

HBO Max

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Westworld is a dystopian science fiction western that aired on HBO for four seasons. Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, it was created for the screen by Jonathan Nolan (Person of Interest) and Lisa Joy (Reminiscence) with a cast that features Evan Rachel Wood (Thirteen), Thandiwe Newton (Beloved), and Jeffrey Wright (American Fiction). It was a massive success.

On 1923, Skelnar plays Spencer Dutton. He’s the son of 1883’s James Dutton (Tim McGraw) but was raised by his uncle, Jacob. Skelnar appeared briefly on Westworld, in just two episodes, as a man named Henry in Season 4. The role wasn’t big, but Westworld was the most notable television series on his resume before 1923.

3

‘Walk the Line’ (2005)

Featuring Robert Patrick

Walk The Line

Release Date

September 13, 2005

Runtime

136 Minutes

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Walk the Line isn’t a western in the traditional sense, but the biographical drama is about one of country western music’s biggest stars. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as fellow country music singer June Carter, who Cash later married. The film is directed by James Mangold with a script by Mangold and Gill Dennis (Forever). The film was an award-season darling and holds an 83% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Patrick appears in the film as Johnny’s estranged father, Ray Cash. The two have a difficult relationship, and Ray is often critical of his son, though the two eventually reconcile.

2

‘Dances with Wolves’ (1990)

Featuring Michael Spears

Dances with Wolves is the classic Civil War-era epic starring Yellowstone‘s Kevin Costner in what was also the actor’s directorial debut. It is based on Michael Blake’s 1988 novel of the same name and centers on Union Army 1st Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Costner), who acquires a posting on the frontier. When Dunbar begins to learn more about the local Sioux community, he starts to question everything he once knew. The Oscar-winning film has an 87% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

Spears was only 13 years old when he made his acting debut in Dances with Wolves, playing the role of Otter. This part brought him into the spotlight and led to more acting roles. He has since been in over 20 film and television roles, including Longmire, 1883, and Reservation Dogs.

1

‘The Virginian’ (1962 – 1971)

Featuring Harrison Ford

The Virginian was a popular television series starring James Drury (Pollyanna) in the title role. It ran for nine seasons on NBC, amounting to 249 episodes total. It is one of the longest-running Western shows of all time.

Harrison Ford has been a big name in movies for a while, starring in classics like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Ford plays patriarch Jacob Dutton on 1923, but one of his first television appearances was The Virginian in 1967. Here, he is credited in Season 5 and Season 6 as playing Cullen Tindall and a young rancher. Ford has starred in a few westerns since then, though The Virginian remains one of the most iconic.