‘Darkish Winds’ star McClarnon: ‘Lastly in a position to inform our personal tales’

The second season of crime drama “Darkish Winds” can be slighter lighter in tone, sequence star Zahn McClarnon mentioned.

“There’s a bit extra levity between [my character, Joe Leaphorn] and Jim Chee [which] I believe is enjoyable to discover, their father/son sort of relationship, the teasing,” McClarnon, 56, instructed The Submit. 

Premiering July 27 on AMC+ (and July 30 at 9 p.m. on AMC), the sequence, set on a Navajo reservation within the Seventies, is executive-produced by “Sport of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin and Robert Redford. 

“I noticed George fairly a bit. He’d come as much as the set [in Santa Fe, NM]. We additionally had fairly a number of dinners collectively,” McClarnon mentioned. “Bob [Redford] obtained as much as the set a number of occasions and mentioned good day to all people. I spoke to him on the telephone a number of occasions, and we had a pair dinners. However he’s getting up there in age [at 86]. It’s sort of onerous for him to get round nowadays.” 

The inaugural season of “Darkish Winds,” based mostly on a sequence of novels referred to as “Leaphorn & Chee,” the drew 2.2 million viewers — a document for AMC+. 

The sequence follows Navajo tribal policemen Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon) and Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon, “Twilight”) as they examine crimes on their reservation — together with grisly homicide. The story additionally consists of critical matters together with the pressured sterilization of Indigenous girls. On the finish of Season 1, it was revealed that Chee was an undercover FBI agent; Season 2 begins with Chee now working as a personal investigator, whereas Leaphorn is engaged on a case involving a sociopath (Nicholas Logan). However the two males cross paths once more earlier than too lengthy.

“Does Jim Chee substitute Joe’s [deceased] son? Is that why Joe likes Jim a lot? We don’t know.,” McClarnon mentioned. “We’ll have to seek out out.

“However Kiowa Gordon, who performs Chee, is such a lighthearted man,” he mentioned. “He brings constructive vitality to the set. I stroll round as Joe Leaphorn and I’m often fairly into myself and quiet. It’s thrilling when Kiowa comes on set. He makes all people snigger. It makes it simpler for me to work, that’s for certain.” 

Though his “Darkish Winds” character is Navajo, McClarnon himself is Lakota. 

“We had an incredible cultural advisor from the Navajo nation. I grew up throughout the Native communities. Clearly there are totally different tribes, and totally different cultures inside these tribes,” he mentioned. “However there are universals — humor inside our group, the matriarchal society. So my complete life was sort of a highway map, and a examine of Native group.”

McClarnon is likely one of the most prolific Native actors. He’s starred in “Fargo,” “Westworld,” “Longmir,” and  the FX comedy “Reservation Canines.” 

“There was fairly a little bit of change [in the industry], however I believe we [Native Americans] have an extended approach to go,” he mentioned.  “I want to see extra Native Individuals inside extra of the studios, extra of the producers, and so forth. However we’ve obtained a number of [and] issues are transferring alongside. 

“We’re lastly writing our personal stuff, and have crews which can be all Native, casts which can be all native,” he mentioned. “We’re lastly in a position to inform our personal tales.” 

This interview was achieved previous to the SAG-AFTRA strike.