The thrilling prequel to Yellowstone, 1923, is not for the faint of heart. Brandon Sklenar plays the rugged Spencer Dutton, and he had to push his limits for this role. He has faced down stampeding elephants, wrestled with lions, and even thrown punches in a gritty underground fight club on a rocking ship.
Brandon Sklenar and Julia Schlaepfer as Spencer and Alex in 1923 | Credits: Paramount+
These intense moments showcase Spencer, played by Brandon Sklenar, as a person shaped by grit and resilience. But amidst all the planned chaos, there was an unexpected incident: a helmet gone rogue that left Sklenar with a lasting mark on his head, which he eventually had to fix with superglue.
1923 actor Brandon Sklenar hurts himself while shooting
Brandon Sklenar in 1923 | image: Paramount+
Sklenar’s portrayal of Spencer Dutton is a masterclass in controlled chaos. The character, a war veteran turned adventurer, roams the wilds of 1920s Africa and beyond, confronting nature’s fiercest creatures and humanity’s darkest impulses.
From the first episode, fans watched Spencer dodge death with a hunter’s instinct, whether outrunning a charging elephant or staring down a lion’s gaze. Sklenar leaned into these moments, embracing the physicality that the role demanded.
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However, during an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sklenar revealed his head injury that almost led his head to split into two by a helmet. He candidly explained the scene and said:
When we actually shot it, I had the helmet far enough in front of me to have some clearance.Then we had to shoot from his point of view, of me slamming it on his neck, and because of the angle I had to hold the helmet really close to me, and we had one shot, so the director told me to just go really ape-s— on it. So I came up and hit myself right here under my eye and just totally split my head open. They had to superglue it.
The mark from the incident is etched on Sklenar’s forehead, so the team used CGI to shoot the follow-up scenes to maintain continuity.
Brandon Sklenar on 1923‘s “tragic” Season 2 finale
Alex and her Dutton husband. | Credits: 1923 / Paramount Pictures.
Brandon Sklenar is rising high with his recent digital-thriller release, Drop, directed by Christopher Landon. However, according to him, his heart still mourns for 1923 Season 2’s finale, a “brutally tragic” episode.
The two-hour-long episode, “A Dream and a Memory,” brought tears to his eyes as he wrapped it up. The 1923 star was weighed down by the heaviness of the scene where Alex, Spencer’s wife, cradles their newborn son, John Dutton while counting her last breath.
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Expressing his sentiments about the finale, he said:
I was anticipating something epic and brutally tragic, and it did not disappoint. That guy [creator Taylor Sheridan]. That guy is a pretty good writer, and the first time it just brought tears in my eyes, reading that episode. I mean, I could read it right now and it would break me down. (Via. Entertainmnt Weekly)
While Sklenar’s journey as Spencer Dutton has ended, he has carried a piece of him that he believes will last with him forever. Bidding farewell to Dutton was hard for him, and 1923 will always be a rich and culturally rewarding experience for him.
1923 Season 2 is streaming on Paramount+.
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