[This episode contains spoilers from 1923 season two, episode four, “Journey the Rivers of Iron.”]
1923 has officially welcomed back Zane Davis, the ranch foreman who is played by Brian Geraghty in the Yellowstone prequel series. A dire prognosis was given to Zane last episode when he returned to the Dutton family ranch with a severe brain injury. The local doctor explained they will have to drill a hole into his head, without anesthesia, in order to drain blood from an injury sustained when he was arrested last season because of Montana’s anti-miscegenation law. The racist law in that era, which wasn’t outlawed until 1953, forbid his interracial marriage to wife Alice Chow (played by Joy Osmanski). In a surprisingly hopeful outcome for the Western series, Zane survives the surgery. He is able to walk again on his own two feet to embrace his wife, and tell Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) he’s ready to seek justice. Below, Geraghty talks to THR about filming the brain surgery scene, while sharing some stories about co-star Ford and opening up about why Zane’s fight is both timely and personal.
***
You’re not dead!
Not yet.
I know you all had pre-season chats with 1923 creator/writer Taylor Sheridan about your season two arcs. How did you react when you heard Zane’s story?
When I started this process, I actually auditioned for John Dutton, who was played by James Badge Dale [John was killed in season one]. I was like: I like Taylor Sheridan. I’d like to work with him. I made a tape and and a month later, they gave me a couple of scenes to read for Zane and said, “It’s a good part, it’s gonna go throughout the season.” Then a month into shooting, Taylor called me and said, “I have this idea. I want to pitch this storyline. You’re going to be in an interracial marriage that was outlawed by anti-miscegenation laws.” I thought, “Wow, this is awesome, a really personal storyline.” I didn’t know where it was going to go until I actually read the script. I was sent all the scripts almost all at once, and I read them over a month. I read 15 pages a day because we had the time, because of the [SAG-AFTRA] strike. I was thinking, “how are we going to do this?” And I started cooking the idea. So yeah, he called me and told me it was gonna be something great, and then it was.
Do you know if Zane was inspired by anyone?
I’ve seen a famous rodeo guy named Zane Davis. I don’t know if he was named in that honor, I never asked.
What research did you do around Zane’s family storyline?
It was really, really fascinating for me because their rules were so wishy-washy. You could marry an American Indian woman, but you couldn’t marry an Asian woman or a Hispanic woman. That’s how it was from town to town, from the research that I did. And then it was like, that’s it, you are just locked up and thrown in jail, and you’ve done something wrong. And I think some of the people actually thought they did something wrong. Imagine trying to hide that, hiding your family and love.
I’ve seen you call this a personal storyline for you.
My wife Genesis Rodriguez is Hispanic. She stars on Lioness, another Paramount show [from Taylor Sheridan]. I was able to really learn about what it’s like to be with somebody who is of Hispanic heritage and roots, and how coming to this country can really affect you or the way people, especially early on in this time frame, really look down upon you. Taylor did a good job of showing how you could marry an American Indian woman or a Hispanic woman, but couldn’t marry an Asian woman in this city. So for me, it was more personal. I’ve been learning to speak Spanish for the last three years because I love the culture. You realize, this was my wife a hundred years ago, and it’s like, wow. It gave me an appreciation and more of an emotional understanding of what to fight for. As an actor, whatever you can do to make it personal is a blessing. So that was a good gift from Taylor to give me that.
I’m trying to think, are there other married Sheridan-verse couples?
(Laughs) It just kind of worked out. She has a great part on that show, and she’s amazing on it. I think once they did her test and once she was getting the job, I wrote Taylor to say she was my wife and he was like, “What?” (Laughs) We may be the first. But it’s been awesome. He’s a great boss to have. First of all, you get great material and the scripts don’t change. I think they changed one logistical thing in the 16 episodes I did.
Actors tend to hop around in the Sheridan-verse, so maybe you two could end up on a show.
We have better chances! Lioness season two, Taylor’s awesome in the episodes. And then watching Genesis, Zoe [Saldaña], Nicole [Kidman] and Michael Kelly… they are all so great. Ii’s a totally different show. I’m looking forward to seeing The Madison and a few of the other shows that are coming out.
So this episode gets pretty gory — your scene partner is almost vomiting on you as he (Jack Dutton, played by Darren Mann) watches a doctor drill a hole into your head to save you. What was it like filming Zane’s 1923-era brain surgery?
The process started in the summer. I went to Hamer special effects, Jason Hamer, and they made this amazing head they were able to drill into. It was incredible. They made this head that looked exactly like me. I have a picture of it actually [shows a photo of Harrison Ford kissing the forehead of the Zane head].
So that was the head, and I got a body double. Those were the three elements: a body double, the head and then me. We shot the scene all day. It was a really neat scene to shoot. It wasn’t the physical thing that I was too worried about. It was more, what is the emotional crux of the scene? Either I can’t walk and I’m dizzy for the rest of my days, and I can’t do my job and be the husband and the father I want to be. Or I do. I get to do my job, which is the most important thing to him, and be the father and husband. That was what I thought about, what the stakes were in that.
I was Googling head injury and it would fluctuate. With the help of Ben Richardson, our director, we were able to modulate, and then obviously having Darren and Harrison there helping me through the scene was great. I did prepare a lot. I wanted it to go a certain way, because it’s a good scene and it’s moving the Dutton storyline ahead. I was a little nervous, of course, and the only way to really ensure that is to do your homework and be lucky enough to have actors like Harrison and Darren help you through.
What were the chances of someone surviving something like this at that time?
I’m not a doctor, but I would say negative one percent? I have no idea! But the way it’s done you’re like, oh, that’s pretty cool.
So I imagine you were standing on the side for some of this while, they’re working with your head?
I was just eating free sandwiches when they did that! They switched it out and did that a little bit later; we went through all the acting beats in the first eight or 10 hours of the day. I had to get up and realize I’m going to be okay, start to walk a little and then turn around and have a moment, like, “are we going to get these sons of bitches?” That was my Taylor Sheridan Western moment that I’ve been waiting 12 episodes for — literally it’s like a Harrison Ford line that I got to do with Harrison Ford.
I think we hugged and [Ford] gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, “Good job today.” That meant a lot, because that’s why we do what we do, to tell a story that’s personal. That was probably one of my best days at work. Aside from all the gun shooting and horse riding. A lot of us do theater and really want to act, but the one thing that is almost as fun is just riding horses and shooting guns all day, and living out these childhood fantasies.
Speaking of Harrison Ford, I saw that you shared a story about how an earlier scene in the season reminded you of a Star Wars scene, but that you didn’t mention it to Harrison in the moment.
I’m never gonna bring up Star Wars. I feel like with any iconic role, we appreciate our role that helped us get there — and I’m not comparing myself at all to Star Wars — but then you want to get away from that. My intuition is that I wouldn’t bring that up ever. I feel like you give your power away by saying, “I just want you to know that Indiana Jones is my favorite.” (Laughs)
But now, I would probably say it. Harrison is a great guy with a great sense of humor. I was really blessed over a three-year period to get to know him. He’s a really smart actor who works really hard. He shows up, ready to go and kind of leads the team with humor. But if he sees somebody is dialed in and has an emotional scene, he’ll encourage that, too. He’s a great leader.
Moving forward, Zane wants revenge but is also a family man. Where’s his drive now?
I think it’s in justice. Revenge is a harsh word for him. I think it has a more negative connotation, so I think justice is what he’s going for. And he might get some of it.
How would you describe where season two is headed and how it ends?
I would say it’s a journey. I like that it’s releasing week to week. I’m glad we don’t have to binge it all. I think it’s an epic journey and we’re all on this journey, and then we’ll all meet up at the end. Some of the closure some people may not like and other people will be satisfied in the broad strokes.
What do you hope viewers take away from Zane and Alice getting a win, and having their happy moment this episode?
This storyline is obviously really important to Joy [who plays Alice]. It’s like 100 years later and things are still happening like this. It’s like what I said about my wife, just to learn about another culture and the injustice. That’s the moral. That’s what I love about historical pieces, where you get to learn a bit while you are working.
What did this role teach you about yourself and what you want to do next?
I haven’t played a good guy in a while. I’ve been playing just psychopathic bad guys, which is really fun, but it was nice to throw a little earnestness in. Now I’m ready to go back and play some psychopaths! I’m doing a play next and I’m playing a totally different character. But also, really it’s the cowboy aspect of it. I’ve gotten to do all these things — I’ve learned to fly a plane. I’ve trained with the Coast Guard, the army, the marines; played football, basketball, boxed, lost weight, gained weight. Now horseback riding, where you really learn. I’ve ridden in movies before, but never like this. You do most of your own stunts, so for me that was one of the great parts of this.
Will you be popping back into Chicago any time soon?
I don’t think so. I went back and did that. But I am always open. When Uncle Dick [Wolf] calls, I show up. He’s been another great guy to me. I love the show and I miss Marina [Squerciati, star of Chicago P.D.], so I would be definitely be open to it.
***
1923 releases new episodes of season two Fridays on Paramount+. Follow along with THR’s season coverage and interviews.
Source: Hollywoodreporter
