Finding The Right Look For Harrison Ford Was A Tall Order For The Yellowstone Crew

You've seen Harrison Ford fight a star war (several of them, actually), but in the "Yellowstone" prequel series, "1923," he's fighting a ranch war, and he's doing it in style. Ford is no stranger to wearing a hat in his movie roles; he'll be doing it again next year in "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny." However, rather than Indy's iconic Fedora hat, "1923" sees Ford donning a cowboy hat as Montana rancher Jacob Dutton, who — together with his wife, Cara Dutton, played by Dame Helen Mirren — finds himself fending off sheep farmers on the open range.

Created by Taylor Sheridan, "1923" is just the latest spin-off in the "Yellowstone" TV universe. It's a sequel to "1883," and it marks Ford's first regular TV role. Yes, he appeared in "The Star Wars Holiday Special," but we don't talk about that.

"1923" costume designer Janie Bryant is one crew member who really felt the weight of Ford's hat-wearing legacy. Speaking to Variety, Bryant revealed that she tested about 75 different hats on Ford before landing on the one he would wear in "1923." It takes a special kind of hat to sit on the head that's worn Indy's Fedora, and they even came up with a name for this one based on Ford's character. Bryant explained:

"We made so many for him. All the different colors — trying the different creases, the different brims, the different crown heights. It was definitely a process. Taylor is also very specific about the kind of hat that he likes, too. There was a lot of collaboration with Taylor, with Harrison and myself to create what I call the 'Jacob.'"

Though it's been a few decades, "1923" is not the first time Ford has appeared in a Western. Before Han Solo made him a household name in the original "Star Wars" film, Ford starred opposite Stacy Keach in the 1976 TV movie "Dynasty," where he played a member of a pioneer family named the Blackwoods. In the same way that Indiana Jones defies death traps to go back for his hat, it's as if Ford is reaching back to early pre-"Star Wars" career with "1923."

"1923" co-stars Timothy Dalton, who had a two-movie stint as James Bond in "The Living Daylights" and "License to Kill." Of course, this isn't the first time Ford has acted opposite a former Bond, either; Sean Connery played his dad in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." In his classic black tuxedo and bowtie, Bond usually comes across as a well-dressed man, and while the cowboy life is obviously grimier, thanks to his "1923" hat (the "Jacob"), Ford, too, can continue his legacy of making hats of all kinds look good onscreen.

"1923" is now streaming exclusively on Paramount+.