‘1923’s Brandon Sklenar Says Spencer Dutton Is Partly Inspired by Clint Eastwood

Since debuting as Spencer Dutton on Taylor Sheridan‘s second Yellowstone spinoff, 1923, fans have fallen in love with Brandon Sklenar. Unfortunately, we still have a few more weeks until 1923 returns with all-new episodes. But, in the meantime, the Spencer Dutton actor is sharing with fans his inspiration for Spencer’s machismo, and how Hollywood icons like Clint Eastwood partially inspired the fierce but quiet character.

Speaking with Newsweek during 1923‘s January hiatus, Brandon Sklenar said, “On the page, [Spencer’s] more than just an archetype, but he’s reminiscent of these classic, iconic film, masculine archetypes that you would have seen in the ’30s, ’40s, ’50s, [and] ’60s.”

More specifically, the Spencer Dutton actor added, “He’s got a bit of that Clint Eastwood vibe. He’s got some Humphrey Bogart, it’s all kind of in there, and I think it resonates.”

As such, the actor claimed Spencer, in a way, is “familiar.”

“He’s an echo of the past,” Sklenar continued, “he is this very masculine character. I think what I’ve tried to bring to it as much as possible is just a vulnerability and sort of a boyish quality that, I hope, is expressed more and more as the season goes on.”

Brandon Sklenar Says His ‘1923’ Character’s Onscreen Relationship is ‘Genuine’

The Dutton Ranch is in peril once again in 1923, and fans are anxious to see what challenges Jacob and Cara Dutton, played by Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren respectively, face next. For now, they’re forced to wait while their nephew Spencer returns home. At the same time, our attention has turned more toward Spencer and his fiery relationship with the British socialite Alexandra. Sklenar spoke about the characters’ relationship during another recent interview.

“I think it’s all genuine from the jump,” Brandon Sklenar said of Spencer Dutton’s relationship with Alexandra, or Alex. “She affects him in such a way, in the bar when they first meet and then, especially, the second meeting. She just resonates with him in his heart, in his soul, in a way that he’s never felt before, and she’s tapping into a part of him that’s been dead for years.”

Some 1923 fans wondered just how long Spencer and Alex’s relationship would endure after their initial fling. However, the last new episode, “War and the Turquoise Tide,” reveals that Sklenar’s character isn’t with Alex for selfish reasons. He has rapidly become more vulnerable with her, sharing years’ worth of letters from Cara Dutton. And, by extension, he’s also sharing parts of himself by detailing his family’s past and their experiences.

Nearing 1923, episode five’s debut, Sklenar said of Alexandra actress Julia Schlaepfer, “It’s such a gift working with each other, and that’s all you can ask for from a scene partner when you’re shooting intimate scenes, emotional scenes, the stakes are so high.”

Sklenar gushed of Schlaepfer, “She’s lovely.”