Following his breakout run as Spencer Dutton in 1923, Brandon Sklenar is quickly becoming one of Hollywood's most sought-after actors. The Yellowstone prequel showcased his potential in the Western genre, and he intends to return to his cowboy roots after demonstrating his range in last year's The Housemaid, Drop, and Green and Gold. He's set to play a cowboy in an upcoming thriller, which, based on the first-look photos, is also shaping up to be a high-stakes drama with shades of Liam Neeson's Taken.
Sklenar is playing to his strengths in The Rescue, a modern Western about a father who sets out to save his kidnapped daughter. The film boasts a stacked cast starring Josh Duhamel (Ransom Canyon), Spencer Treat Clark (Gladiator), Austin Amelio (The Walking Dead), Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs), and Yellowstone alums Hassie Harrison and Josh Lucas. Slated for release on Jan. 29, 2027, The Rescue joins the first slew of films to launch after the Skydance-Paramount merger.
Sklenar will also be joined by co-stars who will definitely tug at the heartstrings of any animal person. "90% of this film is outside in nature, and I spent most of the time working with a dog and a horse," he told People. "It's a different feeling and it can be very meditative and healing spending that much time with a dog and a horse in nature all at once."
The Rescue follows a former rodeo cowboy who takes matters into his own hands after his daughter (Lorelei Olivia Mote, Days of Our Lives) is taken for ransom, per the synopsis. With his daughter's devoted dog by his side, he sets out to bring her home and will stop at nothing to find her. The Rescue marks the feature film debut of the main dog, Robby, who is teased by Sklenar in one of the film's preview photos.
"You spend enough time with a dog, it's very healing. You spend enough time with a horse, it's healing. You spend enough time in nature alone, it's healing. You combine all three elements and it's pretty magical."
Sklenar is well-acquainted with horses since childhood, which proved useful when he attended Taylor Sheridan's famous "cowboy camp," a rigorous ranch immersion that pushes actors through hours of horseback riding, roping, and wrangling, ensuring their authentic performances in Sheridan's shows. Sklenar's skills stop short of riding a bull or a bucking horse, however, even though he plays a retired rodeo cowboy in The Rescue.
While Taylor Sheridan has yet to confirm the cast for the upcoming Yellowstone prequel, 1944, Sklenar has repeatedly expressed his desire to reprise his role. The prequel's era ensures that Spencer Dutton is very much alive, ruling the ranch as an aging patriarch. Even if that return doesn't pan out, Sklenar remains locked into another high-profile collaboration with the TV auteur, starring in F.A.S.T., next year's high-stakes, Sheridan-penned action thriller.
- Birthdate
- June 26, 1990