Jennifer Ehle makes small moments resonate in ‘1923’ and ‘She Said’

Aminah Nieves, who plays a student at a reservation school in “1923,” says Jennifer Ehle is “one of my favorite humans ever.”

In the new drama – a companion piece to “Yellowstone” and “1883,” Ehle plays an abusive nun who doesn’t hold back when it comes to discipline. Nieves – the object of her disaffection – isn’t afraid to return the favor.

While their part of the new series doesn’t immediately look like an offshoot of the Dutton family saga, it really is. “These extraordinarily different stories come together and cross over,” says Ehle. “We all get to watch how they do that.”

“You know, it’s true life,” Nieves adds.

Earlier this year, Ehle was in “She Said,” a look at the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse/assault case. She played one of the women who told her story to reporters. Like Sister Mary in “1923,” the character leaves an impression.

“In both (of the projects), there’s really extraordinary writing,” the two-time Tony winner says. “I think there’s also a special feeling when you really want to help tell a story.”

Adds Nieves: “As an indigenous person, you have all those stories within you. They’ve been brought up in conversations since I was young. So moving into this, it wasn’t something that I wasn’t aware of. I knew how important it is to represent our elders who have experiences like this. It was so scary, at first, to be here and be present because I wanted to honor my family and all of our relations as honestly and as lovingly as I could.”

Written by Taylor Sheridan – who also created “Yellowstone” and “1883” – “1923” looks at another generation of Duttons. Harrison Ford plays Jacob Dutton, the younger brother of Tim McGraw’s James Dutton in “1883.” Helen Mirren plays Ford’s immigrant wife, Cara.

Nieves plays Teonna Rainwater, a student at the government board school. While no one is connecting the dots, Gil Birmingham plays Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater in “Yellowstone.”

“A big part of our story is isolation,” Ehle says. “We’re living in a ridiculous mini-culture of abuse and disrespect.”

While the two look like enemies on the screen, they’re anything but in real life. “We have a lot of trust,” Nieves says.

“I couldn’t have done this phoning it in,” Ehle adds. “We really adore each other.”

While Nieves is a relative newcomer (having starred in “Blueberry” and several other films in the last two years), Ehle is a veteran of stage, screen and television.

In addition to “She Said,” she was also in “The King’s Speech,” “Pride and Prejudice,” “Contagion” and “Zero Dark Thirty.”

Last year, she starred in “Suspicion” and The Good Fight.”

Now, she’s part of a new television dynasty. Good writing, she reiterates, is what lures actors in.