Another famous face just popped up in 1883. The second episode of the Yellowstone prequel series featured a Civil War flashback scene following a general called George Meade, played by none other than Tom Hanks himself!
It turns out that Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, are longtime friends of 1883 stars (and real-life couple) Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and his cameo on the show was a favor.
“He’s a great guy. We’ve been friends for a long time. Rita, his wife, and Faith are best friends, and Tom and I’ve been friends for 25 years, 24 years,” McGraw recently told CinemaBlend. “I knew that there was this part in [the script], and I gave him a call [and] said, ‘Hey, would you be interested in showing up to do a cameo in this show that we’re doing?’ And he goes, ‘Tell me when to be there,’ and he just showed up.”
The scene also gave McGraw the chance to share a scene with his famous friend. During the flashback sequence, Hanks’ General Meade helps protagonist James Dutton (McGraw) process the bloody aftermath of 1862’s Battle of Antietam. But that also put plenty of pressure on McGraw, who added: “You never want to botch a scene when you got Tom Hanks in there with you.”
1883 also marks the first time that McGraw and Hill have acted together, playing married couple James and Margaret Dutton. As the pair told People, it was an adjustment to say the least — particularly when it came to more intimate scenes, such as a moment where their characters take a bath together.
“I obviously feel comfortable with my husband, but this is different,” Hill said. “For intimate scenes, I feel like that belongs to us.”
New episodes of 1883 air Sundays on Paramount+.
Where to watch 1883
Where to watch Yellowstone