There are so many interesting characters on the Yellowstone prequel series 1883 that really make the world seem as authentic as possible. Sam Elliott and LaMonica Garrett lead a wagon train full of immigrants across the Great Plains from Texas to Montana, accompanied by the Dutton family (played by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill). Many, if not most, of these immigrants have no idea how to survive out in the harsh new terrain and need serious help making it from day to day -- one of these characters is the Romanian woman Noemi, played by newcomer Gratiela Brancusi.
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When we first meet Noemi, Shea (Elliott) and Thomas (Garrett) come to her rescue after other members of the wagon train have been stealing from her. She has two children and her husband was killed by bandits so she (understandably) is having a hard time. Initially, she sets her sights on Shea, offering to be his new wife, but she quickly moves over to Thomas. It's an unlikely beginning to an interesting romance. The series realistically depicts the tough realities of what interracial relationships were like during this time period.
"My character, Noemi, she is a woman of Roma background," Brancusi told FilmSlash. "Two kids, [she has] two young kids and she's coming from a land that's been hard on her and her ancestors and she's just looking for a more forgiving place where she can just be. Just be free as we all deserve."
Gratiela Brancusi attends the world premiere of "1883" at Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mindy Small/FilmMagic)
Similar to her 1883 character, Brancusi is from Romania. She studied at the University of Bucharest before apparently settling down in Los Angeles. Though her private social media profile says that she is a member of the Actors' Gang, 1883 is actually her first major acting work.
In 2021, Brancusi made headlines as the "secret wife" of actor Tim Robbins. According to TMZ, the two married in secret and announced in 2021 that they were filing for divorce after a rumored three years. It was a breakup that came as a surprise to many fans of the Shawshank Redemption star as they had no idea he had married his girlfriend.
Tim Robbins, left, and Gratiela Brancusi attend the LA Premiere of Hulu's "Castle Rock" Season 2 on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019, in West Hollywood, Calif. (Photo by Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP)
The Oscar winner has always been an actor who prefers to keep his personal life to himself but during their relationship, Robbins did bring Brancusi to a few high-profile events including the red carpet premiere of his HBO show Here and Now in 2018. He was also seen with his ex-wife at a hockey game with his son Miles, as well Eva Amurri Martino and her children Major and Marlowe. Though Amurri Martino is technically his ex-partner Susan Sarandon's daughter from a previous relationship, they remain close after the two actors spent many years together. In addition to Miles, they share son John "Jack" Henry.
The Romanian actress made an impressive Hollywood debut with the role of Noemi. After her impressive work in 1883, she went on to appear in another Taylor Sheridan project, Mayor of Kingstown.
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