The much-awaited Yellowstone prequel 1923, debuted on Paramount+ and is pulling fans deeper into the neo-Western universe. While it may be an entirely new cast of Duttons taking over the silver screen, this latest Yellowstone installment stays true to the series' Western grit, delicious romances, mystery and family determination to hold onto their Montana ranch no matter what it takes.
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Series creator Taylor Sheridan's 1923 takes place 40 years after the first Yellowstone prequel, 1883. As the Duttons' ancestors deal with disease, drought, the Great Depression and the end of Prohibition, the family refuses to let go of their beautiful, massive ranch.
Although 1883 and 1923 are quite different, there are some references to the original prequel. The show starts with a character from 1883, Elsa Dutton (played by Isabel May), voicing a narration to get viewers up to speed. "Violence has always haunted this family," she says in a low, Southern tone.
This sect of the Dutton clan is led by Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford), the patriarch of the Yellowstone Ranch, and his wife, Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren). The couple raised Jacob's nephews, John and Spencer, as their own after it was revealed that his brother, James (Tim McGraw), and his wife, Margaret (Faith Hill), died after the events of 1883.
Back in the 1920s, the first John Dutton (whose family tree eventually leads us down to the Duttons we know from the modern-day Yellowstone series) now has a grown child, Jack (Darren Mann), who is trying to get control of the ranch's reins and learn the ways of the land. But he's also engaged to Elizabeth Strafford, played by model and actress Michelle Randolph.
Elizabeth, set to be a Dutton by marriage, is said to be a "feisty and capable young woman." And since 1923 is scheduled to run for two seasons, we're expecting to get to know Elizabeth and how she'll fit into the Dutton clan.
This is undoubtedly Randolph's largest role to date, but here's what we know about her.
Who is Michelle Randolph?
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While getting the chance to work alongside Ford and Mirren may be Randolph's biggest break, it's not her first time on the silver screen or working in the entertainment industry.
She and her sister, Cassie, grew up in Orange County in Southern California, just miles away from the entertainment capital of the world. Before getting into acting, Randolph modeled for a number of years. Randolph has been represented by the Wilhelmina modeling agency since she was much younger and has been part of campaigns for brands such as Forever 21, Years of Ours and Stitch Fix.
Five years ago, she grabbed her first acting role as Rachel in the horror television movie House of the Witch (2017). After proving she wasn't just a pretty face but could act as well, Randolph was able to secure a number of other film roles.
She embraced her festive side as Blanca Snow in the television movie A Snow White Christmas (2018). Randolph was able to get a little more serious with her role as Brie in the dramedy 5 Years Apart (2019). Most recently, she's embraced her horror roots by playing Bree in the Peacock dark comedy mystery The Resort (2021) and with her role as Amy McCleary in the Southern thriller The Undertaker's Wife (2021).
Plus, Randolph is part of a few projects that haven't hit theaters yet. She's set to star in a comedy, The Throwback, about a new mom regressing to her party-girl self, as well as the horror film Chasing Nightmares alongside the now-late Anne Heche.
On the personal side, Randolph has been dating former Wizards of Waverly Place star Gregg Sulkin since 2018. There are rumors they met on Facebook, and she's made some appearances on his YouTube and in Calvin Klein ads with Sulkin over the years. Sulkin played Grant in the sitcom Pretty Smart alongside Emily Osment.
Michelle Takes On the Duttons
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Now, in 1923, the dynamic blonde takes on the complicated role of Elizabeth, who is desperately trying to forge a place for herself in the Dutton family.
But before filming started, Randolph had to master cowboy camp. Production put each of the cast members through a few weeks of training so they looked comfortable and skilled on a horse and on a ranch. Randolph told LRM Online that she hadn't even been to Montana before, much less ridden a horse.
"I had no idea how to ride a horse before," Randolph said. "I'm so thankful for the wranglers we worked with. They were so patient with us and we had a blast."
Cowboy camp was also where Randolph and her on-screen fiancé, Mann, discovered who they'd be sharing adventures and intimate romance scenes with. Luckily, Randolph and Mann had played a couple before in House of the Witch, so both actors were relieved to discover they'd be working with each other again.
"We were able to bond [at cowboy camp] and get to know each other before we started filming," Randolph said.
In the show, Elizabeth and Jack are desperately in love with each other, despite not being confident she could handle the pressures of being a rancher's wife. In the series premiere, Jack's great aunt, Cara, questions Elizabeth's dedication to the rough-and-tumble rancher life.
"Elizabeth, in her heart, knew she would always choose Jack because she's loyal and she loves him," Randolph said in an interview. "But Cara is the ultimate rancher's wife and she represents exactly what Elizabeth strives to become as she grows up."
The wild and young character is the daughter of a rancher but grew up and was schooled in the East. "But marrying a rancher is very different and she does come to find that out," Randolph told Screen Rant. "She's a lot stronger than maybe she looks at first."
Both Randolph and Mann said they have loved tapping into the innocence of young love, as we saw captured during a beautiful, romantic moment in the first episode.
"I tried to channel a lot of myself when I was 19 into Elizabeth," Randolph told Screen Rant. She also said to Decider, "They have no problem being very upfront about how they feel about each other. You can't help but be happy when you watch two people so in love. It's really special."
Will Jack be groomed to take over the ranch with Elizabeth by his side? Or will his family, the Wild West or other circumstances tear Jack and Elizabeth apart?
We'll be tuning into new 1923 episodes each week to see how their love develops!
READ MORE: '1923' Star Harrison Ford Shares What It's Really Like Working With Taylor Sheridan
