Brandon Sklenar And Julia Schlaepfer Hid Oranges In Their Pockets For The Elephants On 1923

During a January 2023 interview with Newsweek, Brandon Sklenar explained the joys and burdens of shooting on-location for "1923." 

During the three-month-long shoot, Sklenar, Schlaepfer, and the rest of the show's crew hopped all over Africa and Europe to get the footage Paramount needed for this early, Africa-based portion of Spencer's character arc. Sklenar's most memorable day on the set involved working with a herd of trained elephants for the scene in which Spencer's car is crushed. "We had a herd of elephants on set that day and they were these lovely, magnificent creatures. They were 3 feet from your face all day. We would have to keep them near the car so they get a shot of this elephant running towards us."

To effect this special brand of movie magic, Schlaepfer and Sklenar were given some special elephant-attracting treats by the animal's handlers. "Julie and I would have to hide a bunch of oranges in our pockets, and around the car and off camera to nudge them towards the car. Sometimes they'd come over and you'd have to hold out an orange and this thing, like their hairy elephant lips would come down, and that was a really special experience." 

The treats served as something special to keep the elephants on task, Sklenar admitted that he had an even more memorable time lying under an elephant for real — not your average day at the office.