Who Is The Actress Who Plays 1923's Emma Dutton?
In September 2022, several outlets announced that Marley Shelton had joined the "Yellowstone" prequel "1923." Shelton was cast as Emma, the wife of John Dutton Sr. (via UPI). In December of the same year, Shelton opened up to TV Insider about what being on the "1923" team has meant so far, and how she feels about her character.
As Shelton explained to the outlet, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to Emma and John Dutton Sr. "There's a loneliness and danger that stokes the fire for their love and kindles the flame," she said.
If there's anyone who is capable of portraying such intensity, it's Shelton. The "Sandlot" actress has enjoyed a long, varied career that has allowed her to dabble in a variety of genres and amass a number of roles. Offscreen, Shelton is a mom to two daughters (born in 2009 and 2012) and has been married to her husband Beau Flynn since 2001. Here are a few facts about Marley Shelton, the actress who plays Emma Dutton in "1923."
Marley Shelton was surprised The Sandlot was successful
Many of us were first introduced to Marley Shelton back in 1993 when she starred as lifeguard Wendy Peffercorn in the coming-of-age classic film "The Sandlot." In March 2018, Shelton admitted to Us Weekly that while she knew the movie was special, she didn't have any idea it would become so successful and beloved.
Shelton explained that no one associated with the movie imagined it would gain the following that it did. As she put it, "It's such a fun movie — there are so many great throwback moments. I think it's still relatable. Something about baseball and adolescence and that simpler time in life, I think people really relate to."
Shelton added that she loves when she's recognized from the movie and that she feels "flattered" when people realize she's the actress who played Wendy Peffercorn back when she was only 18 years old. "I love when we get sent pictures of people dressing up as them for Halloween. It's such a riot," she added (via Us Weekly).
She has two daughters with her husband Beau Flynn
Marley Shelton is married to actor Beau Flynn, and the pair have welcomed two children together. Their oldest daughter, West Flynn, was born in 2009. West weighed in at 9 pounds and was 21 inches long when she was born (via People). Flynn issued a short statement confirming that Shelton and West were both "doing great" and said of their daughter, "she's an absolutely miraculous, gorgeous bundle of pure love." The couple welcomed their second daughter, Ruby Jeanne, in May 2012.
The pair have been pretty protective and private when it comes to their children, though it seemed Shelton couldn't help but gush about her oldest in November 2009. She told People at the time, "West is just full of smiles" before telling the outlet the funny and unique story behind their daughter's name. Shelton said, "My husband actually dreamed seven years ago that we had a daughter, and he was calling her West. I immediately said, 'If we ever have a daughter, we're definitely naming her that.'"
Marley Shelton was arrested for a DUI in 2010
Marley Shelton made headlines in May 2010 when she was arrested for driving under the influence. Shelton was pulled over on May 1, 2010, and failed to pass a sobriety test given by officers. She was then taken into custody before she posted $5,000 bail and went home the following morning.
Shelton's lawyer Trent Copeland explained to E! News at the time that he was able to successfully argue against any time in jail for the actress. Copeland was also able to have both DUI-related charges against Shelton dismissed. He said, "Through extensive negotiations, I was able to negotiate a disposition that included a complete dismissal of all alcohol-related charges."
Shelton was put under 24 months of "informal probation," which essentially meant that if she had any further issues with the law or committed any violations she could be taken to jail. She ultimately received a fine of $240 and penalties (via E! News).
The actress admitted to winging it for Scream 4
Marley Shelton stars as Sheriff Hicks in "Scream 4," a role that she was excited to play. As she told We Got This Covered, Shelton was a fan of the original film well before she secured her own role, though that didn't mean she was exactly prepared when it came time to join the cast herself. As Shelton admitted to the outlet, she found out she got the role while in Europe, and she had to make up a few things on the spot. "Sometimes, you do great work when there's winging it going on, so I just decided to go for it and there you have it," she said.
Shelton also spoke to Daily Dead about picking up her role as Sheriff Hicks 10 years after "Scream 3." For the actress, part of the appeal was being able to find out what life stages her character had been through since she'd last played her. As Shelton explained, "So as an actor, it was really exciting, like, 'Okay, where is she now? How has she evolved? How has she changed? What's the same? What are the constant through lines for her?'"
Suspense and horror are two of Marley Shelton's favorite genres
In a lot of ways, it's appropriate that Marley Shelton was cast in the "Scream" franchise, because the suspense and horror genres are two of her favorites as a viewer and as an actress. As she told Gone with the Twins about her role in "Grindhouse," there is a lot to appreciate about each. Shelton said, "Personally, as an actor, I am obsessed with suspense and what creates it. I have studied suspense and I love the old Hitchcock films for that reason. I was really delighted to be in the hands of two masters of their craft, both Robert and Quentin, playing with the ideas of building suspense."
Shelton also told the outlet that her favorite Hitchcock movie is "Psycho," something that "Grindhouse" director Robert Rodriguez knew. In fact, while the pair were reviewing footage, Rodriguez played the theme from "Psycho" over what they were watching, which Shelton said was "really cool."
Marley has enjoyed a long and consistent career
Marley Shelton has been acting for decades, and has enjoyed the kind of consistency in her career that many actors and actresses dream about. From her breakout role in "The Sandlot" to her most recent turn on "1923," she has portrayed many dynamic characters in between.
For example, in 1998's "Pleasantville," Shelton starred as Margaret Henderson, a young woman who becomes the girlfriend of David (Tobey Maguire), a role that set off a span of time in which she appeared in a number of teen comedies and romances. These included "Never Been Kissed" (alongside Drew Barrymore) and "The Bachelor," which starred Renee Zellweger (via Kiddle).
Shelton also starred in "Bubble Boy" with Jake Gyllenhaal in 2001. Gyllenhaal played the title character, Jimmy Livingston, a 17-year-old boy who quite literally lives in a bubble; Shelton played Chloe, the girl who lives next door and is the object of Jimmy's infatuation (via Behind the Lens Online).
She turned down Bring It On to star in Sugar & Spice
Another major role for Marley Shelton was in 2001's hit comedy "Sugar & Spice." While it's hard to imagine the movie with anyone else playing Diane Weston — a cheerleader who has found herself pregnant and who ends up turning toward criminal acts to make ends meet — Shelton was waffling between taking on the movie and a second beloved cheerleader-themed film, "Bring It On."
Peyton Reed, the director of "Bring It On," later told BuzzFeed that Shelton was the only actress attached to the movie at the beginning, and she had in fact already been offered the role that ultimately went to Kirsten Dunst. Reed explained that he met with Shelton for dinner and ended up walking away convinced that she was the best person for the part. He said, "Marley Shelton is a terrific actress and we had dinner and talked about the tone of the movie. The script obviously needed work, but we were going to do rewrites, so we talked about what we wanted to do with the character and all the stuff."