Starting as Noemi on "1883," Gratiela Brancusi plays a Roma woman who's widowed while traveling on a wagon train through the Wild West in search of a better life. Onscreen, she is taken under the wing of expedition leaders Shea (Sam Elliott) and Thomas (LaMonica Garrett) to help guide her through the end of the journey. In real life, the same has happened to Brancusi herself, with Faith Hill helping her feel more comfortable on set.
"Faith's one of the most graceful women I've ever met, and also generous," said Brancusi during a recent interview. "As an artist, every time I worked with her on set, she always took care of everyone around her, which is, to me, insane because it has to be overwhelming for her. This is her first [big] project, and the fact that she always found that time and energy to still take care of other people..."
As for Hill's real-life husband Tim McGraw, Brancusi also called him a "hoot," adding that the entire McGraw-Hill family is a pleasure to be around. "I love them, and I love their family," the actress said. "We met their daughters, too. They came to visit a couple times and they're all so fun. They're a really lovely bunch."
"1883" is now streaming exclusively on Paramount+, where new episodes are available every Sunday.
