‘Dutton Rules’ Podcast: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill Talk About Their ‘1883’ Journey

Tim McGraw's journey to 1883 includes a twist that fans of Yellowstone might not have predicted. His character, James Dutton, was introduced during Ep. 1 of the fourth season of the Paramount Network drama. It was a scene filmed before the prequel was even looking for actors.

During a media session prior to the Las Vegas premiere of 1883, McGraw, Faith Hill, Isabel May and more spoke with Taste of Country and select media, sharing some of the secrets of their characters and the making of 1883.

There are no spoilers in this episode of Dutton Rules: A Yellowstone 1883 Podcast — think of it as a conversation to prepare you for Ep. 1 of the show, which airs on Paramount+ on Sunday (Dec. 19.)

Hill and May shared camera time and spoke about their instant bond as actors and women on the set of 1883. There's a perfectly charming moment toward the end of this episode when May (who plays Elsa Dutton, James and Margaret Dutton's 17-year-old daughter) shows her age and turns beet red.

Taste of Country's Sterling Whitaker joins Adison Haager this week, and together they weave in and out of the conversations between stars and media. Most interesting is how McGraw and Hill got the part: They were big fans, but the singer shares that he agreed to do a cameo on Yellowstone and actually filmed it long before the network agreed to film 1883. Only then was he approached for the leading role.

Click play to listen, or If you would rather listen later, find Dutton Rules on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Also, check out some of our recent video recaps and analysis below and join the conversation with an email to staff@tasteofcountry.com.