Do You Remember Eric Nelsen, The Actor Who Played Ennis On “1883”? – Where Is He Now?
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Eric Nelsen was already an established actor before he played the lovable cowboy Ennis on the Yellowstone prequel series 1883.
Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, on June 26, 1991, Nelsen began acting in 2006. Most of his early roles were single-episode appearances in TV series such as Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, iCarly, Law & Order, and Guiding Light.
Then, in 2013, Nelsen was cast as a series regular in the Hulu revival of All My Children. He played AJ Chandler in 32 episodes of the show.
Nelsen became more involved in movies after that, starring alongside Liam Neeson in 2014’s A Walk Among the Tombstones and appearing next to Chris Cooper in 2015’s Coming Through the Rye.
In 2018, Nelsen won an Emmy Award for his portrayal of Daniel Garrett in the TV series The Bay. He won three additional Emmys for his work as a producer on the series.
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Nelsen also has experience acting onstage. His first Broadway role came in 2008 when he played Brett Sampson in 13. Then, in 2019, he served as the co-producer on a Broadway production of The Inheritance, which later won the Tony Award for Best Play.
In 2021, Nelsen galloped onto our screens in 1883. He played Ennis, a cowboy who joins the Duttons’ travel party on their journey across the American frontier. He falls head over heels for Elsa Dutton (played by Isabel May), who eventually returns the affection.
However, their love story ends tragically, resulting in some of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the entire show.
What Happened To Eric Nelsen After He Played Ennis On 1883?
Eric Nelsen’s Ennis was one of the most beloved characters to emerge from 1883. So naturally, fans of the series can’t help but wonder what happened to Nelsen since the show ended in 2022.
The short answer is…he’s been busy!
Nelsen has maintained an incredibly active career over the past few years. He starred in several short films, podcast series, and movies, including 2025’s Cottonmouth, which featured his 1883 co-star, Martin Sensmeier (who played Sam, although he and Ennis never shared a scene).
Nelsen also continued to play Daniel Garrett on The Bay until 2025. He had appeared in 96 episodes of the program.
Just this year alone (2026), Nelsen has already acted in four movies: Pickleheads, The Yeti, The Wolf and the Lamb, and 40 Dates and 40 Nights.
According to Nelsen’s IMDb page, he currently has over a dozen upcoming projects. Those include the Civil War film Gettysburg 1863 and the holiday film A Country Kind of Christmas, which was filmed in Branson, Missouri.
Another one of Nelsen’s upcoming performances is in a movie titled Price of Redemption. He plays Shawn Livingston, an Army veteran battling PTSD and addiction. The movie is based on a true story.
“Playing Shawn Livingston in Price of Redemption was one of the most meaningful experiences of my career because this wasn’t fiction,” Nelsen shared in a social media post on June 8. “This is a real man’s story. A real family. Real pain. Real loss. Real redemption.”
He added, “This story challenged me, broke my heart, inspired me, and reminded me that no one is ever beyond hope.”
If you want to keep up to date with The Price of Redemption and Eric Nelsen’s other projects, you can follow him on Instagram. That’s where he shares occasional updates on the things he’s been working on.
He also looks back on some of the characters he played in the past, including Ennis. Earlier this year, the official Paramount+ account shared a joint post with Nelsen that featured one of Ennis’ most memorable scenes from 1883. You can watch that clip below.
Nelsen commented, “Loved playing this character so much. Ennis forever.”
