1923 Season 1 ended with a wild reveal about Alexandra’s true heritage, and star Julia Schlaepfer wants us to know what the reveal means for Alex in Season 2.
When Spencer was informed that his wife Alex is the Countess of Sussex in the Season 1 finale, it was as much of a surprise to Spencer as it was to all of us. It was a shocking reveal, in no small part because there weren’t hints along the way, but also because Alex didn’t come across like British royalty.
As it turns out, 1923 star Julia Schlaepfer was somewhat “shocked” to hear about Alex’s royal lineage, too.
Julia Schlaepfer sort of forgot Alex’s royal lineage
In an interview with TVLine, Schlaepfer revealed that, during the filming of Season 1, there were times she was too immersed to remember she was acting. “It’s funny. When I began that journey, filming Season 1 with Brandon [Sklenar] in Africa, and you’re telling this grand love story, I kind of forgot I was an actor,” she laughed.
Schlaepfer continued, “I think Alexandra forgets [about being royalty] because she doesn’t want that title. She doesn’t want to be a caged bird.”
It’s the rigidity of Royal life and expectations that Alex rejects, she explained:
“She’s been very oppressed by this family, who won’t let her decide what she wants to do with her life or who she’s allowed to love. And as soon as she meets Spencer and finds a way out, she’s gone, and she leaves it behind.”
As it turns out, Schlaepfer was so immersed in Alex’s narrative that she also left it behind. “And I was a bit shocked in the Season 1 finale to hear that [royal reveal], as well, because you kind of forget along the way!”
It’s an identity Alex intends to consign to her past. “Alex has chosen to leave that family behind,” Schlaepfer added. “She has made a commitment, in marrying Spencer, to be a part of the Dutton family. That is her main priority, to devote herself and prove her loyalty to this new love and this new family she has married into and chosen to be a part of.”
With Alex and Spencer separated at Season 1’s end, fans hope the trek to reunite isn’t too arduous, especially if their family is growing (as some fans expect).