Director Justin Baldoni took to Facebook in April 2023 to share that Brandon Sklenar had been cast as Atlas, the troublesome man from Lily’s past who gets in the way of her relationship with Ryle. “He looks exactly how I pictured Atlas!” one fan commented, while another added, “Literally perfect male lead casts.” A few weeks after his casting announcement, E! News published photos of Sklenar on set, hugging his co-star as they filmed what appeared to be an emotional scene. 

Sklenar has been acting for more than a decade, ever since he moved to Los Angeles and lived out of his car. (He told Bustle, “It was a Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which has the most visibility out of any production car in America to date, just all glass windows, probably the worst car you could live in.”) He starred as pioneering queer photographer Robert Mapplethorpe in “Mapplethorpe,” played Burt Reynolds in “The Offer,” and appeared on two episodes of “Westworld.

Then came his big break. If Sklenar looks Familiar, it’s probably because he’s best known for starring as Spencer Dutton in “Yellowstone” prequel “1923,” acting alongside the likes of Helen Mirren and Harrison Ford. Thanks to that casting and his role in “It Ends With Us,” Sklenar’s career looks ready to take off. “I love the work,” he told Man About Town. “As you get older, the roles get better and, touch wood, there’s more to work with.”