Are LaMonica Garrett And The Cast Of 1883 Friends In Real Life? - Exclusive
The cast of "1883" was stacked with heavy-hitters — from leads Tim McGraw and Sam Elliott to guest stars Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Hanks — and star-turning performances by the likes of Isabel May and LaMonica Garrett. Together, they created a world that viewers became fully immersed in, taking us back to the late 1800s when people would risk life and limb to traverse America on horseback in search of a better life.
As the origin story for the wildly popular "Yellowstone" starring Kevin Costner, "1883" — which streams on Paramount+ and is now available on Blu-ray and DVD — follows the 19th-century Dutton family as they embark on a treacherous journey across the Wild West in hopes of making it to Oregon to start over. A limited series, "1883" ended after 10 episodes and will be followed by its own spin-off, "1883: The Bass Reeves Story," which will feature a whole new cast.
During an exclusive interview with Looper, Garrett — who played former Buffalo Soldier Thomas — revealed whether he and the "1883" cast have remained friends since the series ended.
'It was us against the world'
As Thomas on "1883," LaMonica Garrett played the even-keeled right-hand man to Sam Elliott's tough-love wagon train leader Shea Brennan. A former slave and Civil War veteran, Thomas was part of the glue that held the group together as they faced internal turmoil, extreme environments, and bloodthirsty bandits.
Like the characters they portrayed, the "1883" cast was also put through the wringer, spending significant time at a "cowboy camp" where they were taught to ride, wrangle, and shoot, among other skills that were necessary in the 19th century. That shared experience bonded the actors for life, Garrett explained.
"[There was a] family that was built from within the show," he said. "From the time we got to cowboy camp, we all had this close bond. We were there together. It was us against the world. We were moving around every couple of weeks from different ranch to different ranch. None of us went back home to our families. ['1883'] was our family for five or six months — and when you spend that much time with people, you become extremely close."
In fact, despite busy schedules, Garrett has found time to hang out with several former castmates since production ended.
"We've all been in touch a bunch," he said. "We go to Tim [McGraw]'s concerts. Me and a couple of castmates went to the Bill Pickett Rodeo. We were riding in that a few weeks ago. I hit Sam [Elliott] up the other day, wished him happy birthday. Me and my son went to Sam's house and hung out and played around. It's a family now. From here on out, it's going to have that same energy."
"1883" is now available on Blu-ray and DVD, featuring over two hours of bonus content including never-before-seen featurettes.