AMC is upping the game when it comes to edge-of-your-seat TV, and their latest offering is no exception. Dark Winds is an upcoming psychological thriller television series that’s set to drop on AMC later this year. The show is created by Graham Roland, an Iraq War veteran who eventually became a writer and producer. He started his writing career for the hit series Prison Break, and eventually found himself working behind the scenes on Lost, The New Man In Charge, Fringe, Almost Human, The Returned, Mile 22, and Jack Ryan. Dark Winds is the first TV show he solely created, and it’s based on a novel series titled Leaphorn & Chee, by the late author Tony Hillerman. Dark Winds tells the story of two Navajo police officers, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, as they work in the Southwest United States in the 1970s. Graham Roland himself is of Native American heritage. Dark Winds will be executive-produced by George R.R. Martin, the author of A Song of Fire and Ice (on which Game of Thrones is based), and veteran actor Robert Redford, alongside others. If you’re excited to learn more about Dark Winds, especially about the cast, read on. Here are the cast members expected to make appearances in the upcoming AMC series Dark Winds.
Zahn McClarnon
Zahn McClarnon stars in Dark Winds as Joe Leaphorn. The Native American actor has previously appeared in Longmire, Fargo, Westworld, Reservation Dogs, and Hawkeye. On film, he’s appeared in The Forever Purge, The Silencing, Togo, Hell on the Border, Doctor Sleep, Braven, Neither Wolf Nor Dog, Bone Tomahawk, Mekko, I’m In Love With A Church Girl, and Bloodline. He’s also lent his voice to the video game Red Dead Redemption in 2010. In an interview with Monsters & Critics, he talked about Native American representation on screen, specifically talking about his role in Reservation Dogs. “I’m just happy that there is an authentic voice for Native Americans to relate to; it’s a new era of Native representation. It is an accurate representation because it’s written by Native Americans and starring Native Americans and produced and directed by Native Americans, it’s more of just a big collective voice of us, and it is just a new era. So it’s great to be a part of that era.”
Kiowa Gordon
The young actor Kiowa Gordon is set to play Jim Chee in the upcoming AMC series Dark Winds. The actor, who is of Hualapai descent, has appeared in projects like The Twilight Saga and The Red Road. Before Dark Winds, Gordon had a role in The Liberator, Castle in the Ground, Blood Quantum, and Roswell, New Mexico, appearing in the series in a recurring role.
Noah Emmerich
Noah Emmerich plays Whitover in Dark Winds. His role is described as being a burned-out FBI agent whose career is on the verge of ending. Noah Emmerich is a veteran TV and movie actor. Most fans would recognize him for his role in The Americans, playing FBI Agent Stan Beeman, for which he won a Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. He’s also appeared in prominent blockbusters, like The Truman Show, Beautiful Girls, Frequency, Miracle, Little Children, and Super 8. Emmerich is set to appear in The Good Nurse, an upcoming movie starring Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. In an interview with GQ, Emmerich explained projects he’d like to do in the future, which might explain why he took on the role in Dark Winds. “I want to continue doing what I’m doing. I’d love to do more directing. I definitely want to do more acting. I’d love to maybe get involved with another series somewhere down the line. I definitely need some time to reconstitute and figure out what exactly is next. I don’t really know right now.”
Jessica Matten
Jessica Matten will be portraying Bernadette Manuelito in the series, an intelligent Navajo police sergeant who works closely with Leaphorn. Here are Matten’s various involvements, according to her IMDb profile: “Jessica stars in Season 2 of Discovery Canada & Netflix’s TV show “Frontier” starring Jason Momoa. She also can be seen in the new CBC drama alongside Kristin Kruek in “Burden of Truth” airing January 2018. Jessica also can be seen in the upcoming comic adaptation movie “The Empty Man” for 20th Century Fox studios which filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, coming in 2018/2019.”
Rainn Wilson
Legendary actor Rainn Wilson is appearing in Dark Winds as Devoted Dan, a degenerate missionary. The actor is best known for playing the role of Dwight Schrute, the overly rigid paper salesman, in the hit TV comedy show The Office. Wilson is known for his comedic roles, so his appearance in Dark Winds might be a shock to longtime fans of his show. Aside from The Office, Wilson has appeared in Transparent, Mom, Room 104, Roadies, and Adventure Time. On film, he’s worked on Blackbird, Brightburn, The Boy, and Cooties. He is set to appear in two movies this year: Jerry and Marge Go Large and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, in which he’ll be playing real-life radio broadcaster Dr. Demento. In an interview with The Guardian, Wilson talked about his struggles early in his career, saying: “I had agents who were, like: ‘You need to get your teeth fixed, build loads of muscles and lose weight.’ But I realised early on that I was in the character actor tradition. Also, sensibility-wise, I’m weird! I play chess, I play the bassoon, I read science fiction. I’m not out there hunting, driving a truck or …” He throws up his hands in mock-exasperation. “What do leading men even do in their spare time? Gut trout?”
Deanna Allison
Last on the list of performers expected to appear in Dark Winds is Deanna Allison, who will be playing Emma, Leaphorn’s wife. Allison is best known for her role in Edge of America. According to Deadline, Dark Winds sets to be the first major TV role for the actress, writing: “Dark Winds marks the first major television role for Allison, who is a member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes. She’s repped by Authentic Talent & Literary Management.”Westworld
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