Actor Eric Nelsen talked about his 𝕤𝕖𝕩 scene with Isabel May in ‘1883’ episode 5. Here’s what he said about the difficulties they faced.
Fans of Yellowstone are loving Paramount+’s prequel, 1883. The show follows the Dutton family as they make their way across the Great Plains in search of better land to settle on. 1883 episode 5 explores Elsa Dutton’s relationship with Ennis before his untimely demise. And Ennis actor Eric Nelsen talked about his experience filming the 𝕤𝕖𝕩 scene with actor Isabel May.
‘1883’ killed off a major character in episode 5
1883 episode 5 featured the first major character death. TVLine reminds us Ennis died after a run-in with bandits put the whole group in danger. Ennis took a bullet to the chest, and he died with James Dutton by his side. Before Ennis died, he told James he truly did love James’ daughter, Elsa Dutton. “I don’t doubt it, son,” James told him. When Elsa finally sees what occurred, she kills the man who kills Ennis, bringing out a new side of her fans haven’t seen just yet.
Ennis actor Eric Nelsen spoke to TV Insider about that moment for Elsa. “That is an extremely emotional and honestly arc-changing moment for Elsa,” he said. “We see a side of her that Ennis never saw and the audience hasn’t seen yet and I think it’s a look into what’s to come. But he knows how she felt and he never took a second of what they had together for granted. For her to do that for me, speechless, I guess.”
Ennis actor Eric Nelsen talked about his 𝕤𝕖𝕩 scene with Elsa Dutton actor Isabel May
Prior to Ennis’ death in 1883 episode 5, he and Elsa established an intense romantic connection. Finally, in episode 5, they have 𝕤𝕖𝕩. When Elsa asks him if he knows what he’s doing, he reassures he does — but it doesn’t seem like he’s had many, if any, 𝕤𝕖𝕩ual partners prior to her. Additionally, Elsa was a virgin, making the scenario all the more awkward and intimate.
Eric Nelsen talked about what it was like filming the 𝕤𝕖𝕩 scene, too. “On days when you’re filming intimate scenes like that, it’s always a closed set,” Nelsen explained to Decider. “We went through the process of making sure everybody’s on the same page so there are no surprises for anyone.”
Nelsen also noted the weather was the biggest hindrance when it came to the scene, though. “I will tell you, the most unpredictable and most uncomfortable part of filming that scene was the weather,” he added. “It was freezing! Luckily, Isabel and I had a little body heat between us, but we were both just like, ‘How do we pretend like we’re not cold right now?’”
Does Elsa get pregnant?
In1883’s sequel, 1923, Isabel May’s Elsa Dutton functions as the series’ narrator from beyond the grave – and in time, it’s possible that Elsa’s musings about the frontier could drop actual clues about whether she was really pregnant or not. More importantly, with Isabel May’s unmistakable voice keeping Elsa’s presence alive, Elsa and the questions surrounding the character serve as reminders of what happened to the Duttons in 1883. Elsa’s voice, which also narrated 1883, is a visceral portal back to the moment James and Margaret buried their highly promising, intelligent, and eldest daughter at the site of what would become the Dutton family’s ranching empire.
