1923 SHOCKER: Brandon Sklenar Reveals Season 2 Will Leave You in TEARS!

Brandon Sklenar Was Born Ready—for ‘1923’ Season 2, at Least

1923 season 2 is darker than the Yellowstone prequel’s first season. Much darker. In the first episode alone, Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) is on a voyage to America, but he’s stashed in a brig full of criminals and vagrants. Though he’s trying desperately to return home and help his family save their Montana ranch, he winds up entangled in a fighting ring on the high seas. And that’s just the first hour.

“Tonally, it’s almost a different show entirely,” Sklenar tells me over Zoom. “I love that. It’s fun to tap into that energy, especially with a character who has so much darkness in him. Season 1 had to allude to it. Now we get the chance to let the cat out of the bag.”

The 34-year-old American actor first arrived on our screens as Spencer Dutton a little over two years ago, when his World War I veteran and big-game hunter—whose chiseled abs repeatedly found themselves in frame—easily garnered the title of Esquire’s hottest cowboy on TV.

Since 1923 season 1, Sklenar has starred in other projects, including the contentious This Ends with Us. It’s no secret that both the romantic drama and the flagship Yellowstone series have been marred in behind-the-scenes feuds.

First, Taylor Sheridan vs. Kevin Costner. Then, Blake Lively vs. Justin Baldoni. I’m sure it’s exhausting. Recently, Sklenar told CBS Mornings, “[I] want people to remember why we made the movie in the first place and what it stands for, and just keeping the focus on that.”

So, it’s no surprise that Spencer Dutton’s aggressive turn in 1923 season 2 was a very cathartic process for the actor. “He goes through a lot this season,” Sklenar says. “I care about him deeply and he feels like he’s a part of me.

So, I didn’t have to do much to tap into it to be honest with you. I put on some size because I wanted him to feel a little more intimidating—like a bit of an animal. But I built out his life so vividly. What you view is a very, very visceral experience.”

Below, Sklenar previews more about Spencer’s journey in 1923 season 2, how excited he is to see the story come to life after so many years, and if he’s caught on to how much the fans love him now that he’s downloaded Instagram.

ESQUIRE: Brandon, how do you feel now that season 2 is finally here?

BRANDON SKLENAR: I’ve been waiting for this for a couple years now. I’m just excited to get it out there. I’m really proud of it and I know people are going to love it. It’s well worth the wait. [Sheridan] wrote something really special, and everyone involved was at the top of their game. We all care deeply about it and I’m sure you can feel that in it.

Last time we spoke, you mentioned that Sheridan outlined Spencer’s whole arc for you, basically from day one. Is the end result close to how you envisioned it back then?

In a way, yes. We didn’t know that he hadn’t written it yet, so he didn’t have all the specifics, but it was more than I could have imagined it would be. The season finale of this is special. I don’t know how he writes these things, but damn am I grateful for it. It’s beautiful.

I’m sure it was also a dream to finally work with Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren this time around. Your character was on such a journey in season 1 that he has yet to make it back home to the ranch even when season 2 begins.

Yeah, I was waiting for a long time. [Laughs.] I still can’t confirm or deny… but I could imagine if one were to work with them, it would be a pretty special experience.

Whenever I talk to someone from Yellowstone about Montana, there’s always the joke that fans who visit the location—who are looking for the picturesque Montana Summer at the Dutton ranch—are shocked to find it snowed over in the offseason. It’s fitting that Sheridan finally decided to film in the snow this season.

It was cool. I liked being in the elements. We actually didn’t get too much snow, so we had to make a lot of snow. When we were in Africa last time, they were in Montana around Halloween, and I think they had a foot of snow.

But it was pretty bone-dry there through most of the shoot [for season 2]. We were in Texas a lot of the time and it was hot as hell. And then we went to Montana and it shifted about 60 degrees in the span of a week. So that was a fun adjustment.

What do you mean they made snow? They had snow machines everywhere?

Yeah, we did winter in Texas during summer in Texas. it was like a hundred degrees and a hundred percent humidity. And I’m in a long leather coat and pretending like it’s cold outside. I’m wearing an ice-pack vest, so I don’t get heatstroke. But I love that he put us out there and it’s not too cushy.

Last time we spoke, you said you had just downloaded Instagram. Is it harder to avoid all the fancams and thirst tweets now?

It’s funny. Yeah, a little bit. You just got to not read all the comments. It’s something you got to have a boundary against because that could be a rabbit hole in and of itself. It’s a necessary evil, but I try not to look at it too much.

2025 is a big Brandon Sklenar year. You’re filming The Housemaid right now with Sydney Sweeney, and then you have the Blumhouse horror film Drop premiering in April. How does it feel how quickly your career has gone from sending an audition tape for 1923 to receiving offers for films like This Ends with Us?

Pretty incredible, man. It’s been moving so fast. I’ve been home for four weeks since June, so when I finish this movie, I’m just going to put my feet in the earth and kind of see where I’m at because the train’s been moving so fast. I’m really grateful for it.

It’s a special thing. And I owe it all to this show. I was grinding for twelve to thirteen years before that, and this was the thing that did it. For [Sheridan] to put that faith in me to play this incredible character he wrote, I’ll forever be in debt to him. I’m just so honored that I got to do it and hopefully continue to do it.