Julia Schlaepfer (‘1923’) on Alex’s ‘journey of awakening and discovery’ [Exclusive Video Interview]
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“Her bravery and her spunk and gumption and love for life were so exciting for me,” proclaims Julia Schlapfer about playing Alexandra, a free-thinking British woman in the Paramount + drama “1923.” The series, a prequel to the hit drama “Yellowstone,” focuses on the Dutton family’s struggles to hold onto their Montana ranch in the early 20th century. However, Alex’s story begins in the deserts of Africa as she encounters Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar). In an exclusive video interview with Gold Derby (watch above), Schlaepfer talks about the challenges of filming abroad, her bond with her co-star and Alex’s “journey of awakening and discovery.”
The character of Alex is a departure from the typical “damsel in distress” archetype so commonly seen in the western genre. Schlaepfer admits that she was attracted to playing a woman so multifaceted. “What is so amazing about her is that she takes everything head on and she doesn’t shy away from it,” she says. “It scares her at times, and she’s not afraid to be vulnerable in her strength. And I think that’s so beautiful. So crafting that and watching her discover her strength throughout this fear and this vulnerability and being exposed to the world was a really special thing to play.”
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Because Spencer and Alex’s scenes are separate from the story’s central plot, Schlaepfer and Sklenar had only each other to rely on throughout the grueling months of filming in both Africa and Europe. “It kind of felt like we were in this little secret world,” she explains. We only had each other. We were together the whole time.” She describes their experiences getting dirty, suffering from e.coli poisoning and freezing in a water tank for the show’s climatic shipwreck sequence. The experience, says Schlaepfer, made the bond between the two characters easy to portray. “I think it actually ended up being very helpful to the two of us,” she argues. “We’d go into the scenes and it felt so natural. It felt like a really natural progression for us.”
Spencer and Alex’s love story is put to the test at the end of the show’s first season as the lovers are forcefully separated by Alex’s parents. Schlaepfer praises the writing of series creator Taylor Sheridan, whom the actress says manages to create moments that are simultaneously old-fashioned and contemporary. “Taylor’s writing is unbelievable,” she exclaims. “He’s able to write these grand old Hollywood stories that do feel so timeless while at the same time, the intimate human moments feel so real and modern. I think that’s why audiences really are drawn to his stories because everybody sees these stories and what these characters are going through and they can relate and they also want that.Everybody wants that kind of love where you’re screaming over the side of the ship being like ‘I’ll find you.'”
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