Gratiela Brancusi Reveals What It's Like Working With Faith Hill On The Set Of 1883 - Exclusive

It may be surprising to learn that playing Noemi on the western "1883" is Gratiela Brancusi's very first on-camera acting gig. But it's not her first brush with fame, as she was briefly married to Academy Award winner Tim Robbins before the couple divorced in 2021. Still, starring alongside the likes of Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, and Faith Hill, among others, in "1883" must be a pretty overwhelming experience for a first-timer.

"I don't think I've been able to actually take it in," Brancusi told Looper during an exclusive interview about the "Yellowstone" prequel that is streaming exclusively on Paramount+. "It felt like we were all having a baby. All of a sudden, the baby was out in the world, and I was like, 'I'm not ready.' Everyone knows about it, but I have yet to understand how big it is, in a way. I can see that people watch, but it hasn't really landed with me yet."

For Brancusi, it helps to have a supportive cast around her on the set of the show, including co-star Hill, who portrays Margaret Dutton and who also has limited acting experience. During the exclusive Looper interview, the Romanian-born Brancusi gave us some insight into what it's really like working with the country star.

Starting as Noemi on "1883," Gratiela Brancusi plays a Roma woman who's widowed while traveling on a wagon train through the Wild West in search of a better life. Onscreen, she is taken under the wing of expedition leaders Shea (Sam Elliott) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) to help guide her through the end of the journey. In real life, the same has happened to Brancusi herself, with Faith Hill helping her feel more comfortable on set.

"Faith's one of the most graceful women I've ever met, and also generous," said Brancusi during a recent interview. "As an artist, every time I worked with her on set, she always took care of everyone around her, which is, to me, insane because it has to be overwhelming for her. This is her first [big] project, and the fact that she always found that time and energy to still take care of other people..."

As for Hill's real-life husband Tim McGraw, Brancusi also called him a "hoot," adding that the entire McGraw-Hill family is a pleasure to be around. "I love them, and I love their family," the actress said. "We met their daughters, too. They came to visit a couple times and they're all so fun. They're a really lovely bunch."

"1883" is now streaming exclusively on Paramount+, where new episodes are available every Sunday.