Eric Nelsen Takes A Hard Ride On Trail of Vengeance

Eric Nelsen is back in the saddle again, riding alongside his good buddy and 1883 co-star James Landry Hébert for Trail of Vengeance, director Johnny Remo’s gritty indie western. The big difference this time is, both guys are galloping on the dark side.

The new movie, set to debut May 23 in select theaters and on digital platforms, focuses on Katherine Atherton (Rumer Willis), a resourceful widow who vows to deliver some rough justice in the 1875 frontier  after two villains, Frank (Nelsen) and Zeke (Hébert), kill her husband Caleb. Determined to uncover the reason behind Caleb’s murder, she seeks out John Scobell (Gbenga Akinnagbe), a man who not only shared a bond of friendship with her late husband, but also served as the first pioneering black agent for the Pinkerton Agency.

Even as they’re pursued by Frank and Zeke, Katherine and John follow, well, a trail of vengeance that inevitably leads them to the nefarious Colonel Davis (Jeff Fahey), a former Confederate Army officer now determined to eliminate anyone who might undermine his political ambitions by revealing his role in violent wartime activities.

And yes, you guessed it: Davis has been paying Frank and Zeke to do his dirty work while whitewashing his past.

A native of West Palm Beach, Florida, Nelsen is a 33-year-old multihyphenate who’s been active in the entertainment industry as both actor and producer for more than a decade. He’s a three-time Emmy Award winner for his acting and producing work on the Amazon series The Bay. (Fun fact: At 23, he was the youngest producer in history to win an Emmy.) In 2020, he also won a Tony Award for co-producing the Broadway play The Inheritance, Matthew Lopez’s multiple-Tony-winning play inspired by E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel Howards End.

Nelsen’s movie credits include roles opposite Liam Neeson in A Walk Among the Tombstones, Mickey Rourke in Nightmare Cinema, and Chris Cooper in Coming Through the Rye. And even though — spoiler alert! — his character, a young cowboy named Ennis, departed fairly early from the storyline of 1883, he still managed to make a memorable impression during his romantic scenes with Isabel May as Elsa Dutton.

In real life, Nelsen is married to actress and voiceover artist Sainty Nelsen (Gabby’s Dollhouse, Trolls: The Beat Goes On), with whom he appeared in the streaming revival of the soap opera All My Children. They reside in her hometown of Fort Worth, where they raise their two children, Molly and Mick, and host their popular The Glamour & Grit podcast.

We recently had the pleasure of talking with Eric Nelsen about Trail of Vengeance, along with his other past and upcoming projects. Here are some highlights from our conversation, edited for brevity and clarity.

Cowboys & Indians: You play a really nasty fellow in this film. I’ve often talked with actors who say that even if they’re playing Hitler, they have to like the character they're playing. Was it difficult for you to like Frank?

Eric Nelsen: Not really. I think it’s easy to look at Frank and label him as the bad guy — he does some horrendous things throughout the movie, and there are hints about his past as a member of the Southern Army during the Civil War. But I truly don’t believe Frank is a bad man. In his mind, he’s doing what’s necessary to survive.

There’s a moment early in the film where Frank and James Landry Hébert’s character break into a cabin looking for Caleb. They find Katherine, Caleb’s wife, instead, and James’ character is about to kill her. I stop him and say, “What’s wrong with you? She’s with child. We’re not here for her — we’re here for him.” When I first read that, I thought: Aha, Frank has a moral compass. He might appear violent, but everything he does is about survival in a chaotic world where the law is barely present.

C&I: How difficult was it for you to apply that scar on your face every day?

Eric: We had an incredible makeup department. But the hardest part was keeping the scar on, because we were shooting in the dead of summer in Arkansas. It was so hot, we were sweating buckets. Sometimes sweat would bubble up under the prosthetic and create these little pockets. It was brutal. We’d spend 30 to 45 minutes each morning getting it just right. But keeping it in place was the real challenge, especially in that area between the eyebrows and the top of the head. There’s so much sweat from my face and scalp, it made everything tricky.

C&I: When you’re wearing something like that scar while acting, does it help you get into character?

Eric: Tremendously. I’m the kind of actor who does all the research and prep — understanding the time period, the character’s background, all of that. But I don’t fully feel like the character until I’m in costume and makeup. That’s when everything clicks. It’s like the ribbon on top of the package.

I have so much respect for wardrobe, makeup, and hair. They elevate everything. And honestly, every day I’m on a Western set, putting on a gun belt and a period costume, I feel like a giddy little kid.

C&I: This is your first time working with James since 1883, right?

Eric: Yes, and it was such a joy. He’s truly one of my best friends — we’ve stayed close since 1883. We do events together all the time. My kids call him Uncle James! We’ve now done four projects together, and it just keeps happening, even though we have different agents and reps. I think there’s a chemistry between us that people respond to. It’s never competitive — just supportive.

C&I: Do you ever joke with each other — like maybe him saying, “Hey, I lived longer than you did in 1883?

Eric: Oh, all the time! I’m always telling him, “Man, you got to ride through all ten episodes and survive! You can’t complain.” Meanwhile, I always seem to get cast in roles where I die by the end. But we laugh about it. I think I was the one who called him for Trail of Vengeance. I told him he had to be in it. We’ve got each other’s backs like that.

C&I: In Trail of Vengeance, you’re also working opposite Jeff Fahey, who lately seems to have carved out a niche for himself playing despicable characters — and really enjoying it. Were there ever scenes where you all cracked up laughing?

Eric: Not really. But Jeff brings something truly unique to a scene. He approaches acting like a musician — he calls it his “jazz.” He’ll say, “Let’s feel the jazz,” and just dive into the moment. He’s so fluid and spontaneous. It keeps you on your toes. Some of those intense scenes? Half of what he does isn’t even in the script. He just turns it on and you’re reacting in real time. That kind of unpredictability is an actor’s dream. And when the scene ends, he flips it off and we’re laughing again. He’s a total pro.

C&I: Fort Worth is a long way from Broadway, but it has a respectable theater scene. Do you ever feel the urge to return to the stage — maybe as an actor or a producer?

Eric: Yes, absolutely. Theater has my heart. I started on Broadway when I was 16, and it’s where I feel the most fulfilled as an actor. That live energy is like nothing else.

And it’s funny you mention it — I just shot a western where I played a legendary historical figure, and we’re developing a stage play based on it. We’re actually having a call about it right after this interview. I’d love to launch it right here in Fort Worth. The character has deep ties to this area, and the fan base here is incredible. It feels like the perfect place to start before taking it to New York or London.

C&I: Can you tell us what’s next, besides the stage project?

Eric: Yes! I recently launched a men’s western apparel company called Stockyard Supply Co. I’m wearing one of our pearl snaps and hats right now. I wanted to bring my personality and mindset to the western world through fashion. We’re based in Fort Worth, and the stockyards are our brand’s home base. We launched last November, and we’re just about to release our summer line of short-sleeved pearl snaps and other gear. It’s been such a rewarding venture. And the western community has embraced it.