TV show creator Taylor Sheridan made westerns cool again with his hit series, “Yellowstone,” which was mired in controversy with star Kevin Costner. Looking to expand the “Yellowstone” universe, a prequel series, “1883,” was launched, as well as a second prequel series, “1923.” The cast of “1923” includes longtime stars like Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren, as well as industry newcomer Julia Schlaepfer, whose first acting credit only dates back to 2017.
Schlaepfer plays Alexandra, who was revealed at the end of season 1 to be British royalty — Countess of Sussex, to be exact. Apparently, the British character is “not historically based on her, but Alexandra, the Countess of Sussex, was a real person,” Schlaepfer told TVLine, noting how Sheridan didn’t want Schlaepfer taking that fact too much to heart because “1923” is for entertainment, not history.
Despite some of her more glammed-up looks in the series, Alexandra Dutton spends a lot of her time looking more barefaced. This is probably why Schlaepfer doesn’t look that unrecognizable without makeup, unlike the other ladies in the “Yellowstone” universe.
She posted a photo that showed off her acne
Julia Schlaepfer shared some behind-the-scenes pics from “1923” in a carousel on Instagram back in December 2022, which included a photo of her wearing foundation and hanging out with some of her female co-stars. However, the first picture in the gallery showed off her natural beauty. Taking a selfie with a horse, Schlaepfer wore as much makeup as the equine: none.
Even without the aid of cosmetics, Schlaepfer’s blue eyes truly shined. Also included in the photo was some light acne on Schlaepfer’s face, which is a completely normal part of being human. It’s refreshing to see a Hollywood star unafraid to show off any “impurities” on social media since so much of what people see online isn’t exactly authentic and can have negative effects on the body.
Some of the other snapshots Schlaepfer included seemed to be of her in character, also wearing little makeup, making it difficult to discern what she looks like on the show versus in real life. Spoiler: She looks beautiful in both.
She went au naturale in a project years before 1923
Back in 2018, Julia Schlaepfer worked on the true crime biopic, “Charlie Says,” about the Manson Family Murders. She appeared much differently in the movie, rocking the brunette look instead of the signature blonde hair fans have come to associate with her in “1923.”
In one pic from the film Schlaepfer posted on Instagram, she looks even more barefaced since the darker hair color highlights her complexion. Pictured with her are two of her co-stars, Nyoka Yomfula (who previously went by Dayle McLeod) and Morgan Melton, who also look to be seemingly makeup-free.
In another photo posted to Instagram, Schlaepfer shared a group shot of several female cast members crowding around the movie’s cinematographer, Crille Forsberg. Schlaepfer, presumably in hair and makeup, doesn’t look like she’s even wearing any makeup, and the same goes for the other girls in the snapshot. Like in “1923,” Schlaepfer’s makeup-free appearance isn’t super different from how she looks in “Charlie Says.”
She ditched the cosmetics for her 1923 shipwrecked scene
If you’re going to take a dip in the ocean, you probably won’t bother putting on makeup since the water will likely only ruin it. For season 1, episode 6 of “1923,” Julia Schlaepfer’s character was shipwrecked. Schlaepfer shared a behind-the-scenes video on Instagram the day the episode dropped, which shattered the illusion her character was actually struggling to stay afloat since Schlaepfer could be seen standing up and goofing around before “action” was called.
The Instagram carousel included another video of Schlaepfer swimming underwater for a scene, clearly not wearing any makeup for the shot. (Or, wearing really amazing waterproof makeup that’s super light.) Honestly, this is the Alexandra fans know and love. It’s when she gets all dolled up on the show that she ends up looking quite different, and the same can be said for Schlaepfer herself. Even when the actress attends awards shows, such as the 2024 Golden Globes, she doesn’t overdo her makeup, keeping the look fairly light and contour-free. It’s when she wears eye makeup that really catches fans off-guard since Alexandra tends to keep the cosmetics to a minimum.