'1923' star Sebastian Roché on why he apologized to his Native American costars before shooting his most horrific scene and why 'all roads are leading to the Yellowstone'

• Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the season one finale of Paramount+ drama, "1923."
• Sebastian Roché told Insider he apologized to his Indigenous costars before filming his worst scene.

Although Sebastian Roché is well versed in portraying villainous characters, having played the evil angel Balthazar in "Supernatural," a Nazi leader in "The Man in the High Castle," and the vampire Mikael in both "The Vampire Diaries" and "The Originals," he says nothing comes close to playing the truly despicable Father Renaud in "1923."

Insider caught up with Roché over Zoom ahead of the season one finale of the "Yellowstone" origin story, which takes place more than a century ago, to break down one of the most shocking scenes in the series and to discuss what's to come for his character for season two.

"Father Renaud, I feel is an extremely flawed, psychopathic character," the French-Scottish actor said. "But he believes that what he's doing is right, and that's what makes it even scarier."

Audiences saw that Renaud remained truly reprehensible until the end, casually telling the marshal who came to the residential school he runs that enough children have died "to warrant a graveyard," on the land in the finale. But it was in episode five that the character carried out his most egregious acts of violence towards the Native American students at the boarding school.

Describing it as "a horrific episode in terms of violence against younger people," Roché said it was one of the hardest to film.

The episode saw Renaud discover that Teonna (Aminah Nieves) had bludgeoned to death two of the school's nuns, Sister Mary (Jennifer Ehle) and Sister Alice (Kerry O'Malley), and taken off in the dead of night. Renaud then had all the students lined up in their dormitory for questioning.

When Teonna's cousin Baapuxti (Leenah Robinson) began crying, Renaud zeroed in on her and began interrogating her about Teonna's whereabouts. She didn't answer, which earned her strike after strike from the priest.

After being knocked unconscious, Baapuxti woke up in Renaud's office, where she told the priest that Teonna had gone home. However, this — while true — didn't satisfy the priest and he dealt her a few more blows, this time with a paddle. She finally broke and told Renaud in her native language that her clan will get their revenge on him one day, which prompted him in a fit of unbridled rage to knock her to the floor and stomp on her head, killing her instantly.

"That was a very painful moment for them as actors and I think for everyone involved," Roché said of the first scene with Robinson, which they filmed with more than a dozen young background performers.

Realizing "there was a roomful of young women of American Indian origin who probably would be very triggered by the scene," Roché said he decided to take a moment before they began shooting to apologize to his young costars for what was about to happen.

"I wanted to apologize for what we're about to do, just to clear the air a bit and relieve the tension," he explained. "Because in that moment, I'm the perpetrator, I am the antagonist."

Roché continued: "Before we actually shot the scene, I basically turned to Mo Brings Plenty, who's our consultant, and he also plays a character in 'Yellowstone,' and the rest of the whole room and said, 'I apologize for what we're about to do. Even though we are recreating this and this is not reality, it is one of the darkest chapters in your history and I just want to get this off my chest.'"

Even though Nieves was not shooting that day, she came on set to help Robinson through her scenes and be "supportive," Roché said.

"I saw that all throughout the shooting," he said. "There was this incredible support between them as sisters and I'm really amazed at the incredible work they've done as actors, as artists. I think it's very important for them to be representing their people and I have great admiration for them, for their strength, and their talent."

Many fans were hoping to see Renaud meet his end in the finale and were bitterly disappointed when, at the top of the hour, the priest was still alive and, along with law enforcement officers, was hot on Teonna's heels, having worked out that she was headed south to the Comanche reservation in Wyoming.

It turns out Roché felt the same, although he is at least pleased that he will be part of the show's second season, which was confirmed earlier this month.

"I would love for him to have a sort of operatic death and the most extraordinary demise," the actor said with a laugh.

Roché also speculated that since "all roads are leading to the Yellowstone, at the moment," there's also the possibility that viewers could see Renaud cross paths with the Duttons at one point in season two.

"That would be really interesting," he said. "To see him show a different face and then be uncovered for who he is."

"Taylor's built the story so well. There's the center, Yellowstone, and everyone seems to be converging towards it for what is going to be something of epic proportions," Roché said.

Nevertheless, whatever happens, Roché is hoping his character finally faces retribution at the hands of those he has wronged.

"I have a feeling — he hasn't told me anything — but I truly believe Father Renaud will get a stupendous comeuppance," he said.

"1923" is now streaming on Paramount+.