Rita Wilson is saddling up to head west with a guest starring role on Paramount+'s hit series, 1883, Variety reports. The actress will join the star studded cast in the freshman season of the new series as a whiskey slinging shopkeeper in Doan’s Crossing named Carolyn. So far, we know that Carolyn will pour Margaret (Faith Hill) a tall glass of the good stuff to help her take the edge off. Keeping it all in the family, Wilson’s cameo performance will follow that of her husband, Tom Hanks, who played the role of U.S. Civil War General George Mead in 1883’s second episode.
Serving as a prequel for the hit series Yellowstone, 1883 rode into town on December 19, debuting on Paramount+ and the Paramount Network. Like its sister series, 1883 hit the ground galloping, bringing in around 4.9 million viewers during its premiere episode. Joining Hill to tell the beginnings of the Dutton family is her real life husband, Tim McGraw, who plays the role of the family’s patriarch, James Dutton; Billy Bob Thornton as gunslinger Jim Courtright; Isabel May as the Dutton’s daughter, Elsa Dutton; and LaMonica Garrett as wagon train leader Thomas. The series focuses on the Dutton’s big move out west in search of a better life and a claim to bigger land, but from the jump, the journey across the frontier proves to be a dangerous one as enemies and hardships pop out from every corner.
The series was created by Taylor Sheridan, who also served as Yellowstone’s co-creator. Sheridan serves as an executive producer with John Linson, Art Linson, David Glasser, Rob Burkle, and Bob Yari. MTV Entertainment and 101 Studios are the show's producers.
With Wilson being the second of her family to appear in the Western-themed television series, we’re wondering if we can expect to catch any other member of the Wilson/Hanks clan to join 1883's ranks. Perhaps Hanks’ son, actor Colin Hanks, will don Western garb and appear in the series, or maybe even the pair's rapper son, Chet Hanx, will want to toss on a pair of cowboy boots and take on the old West. Whatever the case may be, for now we are excited to see Wilson take center stage in the upcoming episode of 1883.
1883 airs on Sundays on Paramount+ and The Paramount Network.