WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:01.659 Welcome back to The Deep Dive. You've brought 00:00:01.659 --> 00:00:04.540 us a really fascinating set of sources today. 00:00:04.620 --> 00:00:07.219 Yeah, definitely. And our mission really is to 00:00:07.219 --> 00:00:10.560 go beyond just, you know, recognizing a familiar 00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:13.900 face. We want to understand the specific journey 00:00:13.900 --> 00:00:17.339 of Zahn McLarnon. How he went from this brilliant 00:00:17.339 --> 00:00:20.640 character actor that you see everywhere to... 00:00:21.289 --> 00:00:24.269 Well, now having real creative control as a lead 00:00:24.269 --> 00:00:26.629 and producer. Exactly. It's a crucial story, 00:00:26.710 --> 00:00:28.989 I think, for anyone interested in how you build 00:00:28.989 --> 00:00:31.050 a career in this industry over the long haul. 00:00:31.149 --> 00:00:33.850 We're talking Zahn Tokiako McLarnon, born back 00:00:33.850 --> 00:00:36.490 in 66. Right. And we really need to unpack how 00:00:36.490 --> 00:00:39.530 his presence, especially on TV, just grew and 00:00:39.530 --> 00:00:41.890 grew over the last decade or so. And importantly, 00:00:42.070 --> 00:00:44.310 how he reached this point of being an executive 00:00:44.310 --> 00:00:46.549 producer. Yeah, the listener wants that deep 00:00:46.549 --> 00:00:48.909 analysis, the how and the why, not just the quick 00:00:48.909 --> 00:00:51.229 summary. We're tracing the past. of an actor. 00:00:51.369 --> 00:00:54.030 You know, Hunk Puppa Lakota on his mother's side, 00:00:54.130 --> 00:00:55.990 Irish on his father's. It was a really interesting 00:00:55.990 --> 00:00:58.450 background. Absolutely. And he spent decades, 00:00:58.670 --> 00:01:01.250 really decades, being that guy you could always 00:01:01.250 --> 00:01:05.909 rely on in a supporting role. But now, he's Joe 00:01:05.909 --> 00:01:10.090 Leforn in Dark Winds. Lead star. Executive producer. 00:01:10.469 --> 00:01:13.510 That jump from supporting player to creative 00:01:13.510 --> 00:01:15.230 leader. That's what we're mapping out today. 00:01:16.670 --> 00:01:18.870 to really get how he got there to that position 00:01:18.870 --> 00:01:20.769 of authority we have to start at the beginning 00:01:20.769 --> 00:01:23.170 it sounds like the groundwork that resilience 00:01:23.170 --> 00:01:26.209 was really laid down in his childhood a childhood 00:01:26.209 --> 00:01:28.730 that was well constantly changing okay let's 00:01:28.730 --> 00:01:31.400 dive into that section one early life identity 00:01:31.400 --> 00:01:33.599 and education. He was born in Denver. We know 00:01:33.599 --> 00:01:37.640 that. But the details suggest, well, not a lot 00:01:37.640 --> 00:01:39.659 of stability early on. That's putting it mildly. 00:01:39.659 --> 00:01:41.640 That's the key thing about his early life. Constant 00:01:41.640 --> 00:01:44.079 movement. His family was always relocating. Not 00:01:44.079 --> 00:01:46.379 just once or twice. Oh, no. We're talking multiple 00:01:46.379 --> 00:01:48.659 states. Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, 00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:50.959 Minnesota, Wyoming, Ohio, Montana. It's quite 00:01:50.959 --> 00:01:53.400 a list. Wow. Can you imagine? Oh, Wayne's the 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:55.280 new kid. He actually described his childhood 00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:58.870 himself as, quote, rough. And you have to think 00:01:58.870 --> 00:02:02.870 that constant need to adapt, to observe, to fit 00:02:02.870 --> 00:02:06.989 into new places. Ironically, that's maybe incredible 00:02:06.989 --> 00:02:08.990 training for an actor, right? That makes sense. 00:02:09.110 --> 00:02:11.349 Yeah. And the sources link this moving directly 00:02:11.349 --> 00:02:13.689 to his father's job with the National Park Service. 00:02:13.909 --> 00:02:16.229 Exactly. Which sometimes put them near places 00:02:16.229 --> 00:02:18.810 really significant to his background, like near 00:02:18.810 --> 00:02:20.889 Browning, Montana, close to Glacier National 00:02:20.889 --> 00:02:23.409 Park. OK. But here's the interesting dynamic. 00:02:23.930 --> 00:02:26.939 Even with all that moving. Because of his dad's 00:02:26.939 --> 00:02:29.860 job, his connection to his Lakota heritage was 00:02:29.860 --> 00:02:33.139 kept strong. He'd often visit the Blackfeet Indian 00:02:33.139 --> 00:02:35.159 Reservation, where his mother grew up. Oh, okay. 00:02:35.379 --> 00:02:37.080 Stayed with his maternal grandparents there. 00:02:37.199 --> 00:02:39.159 Right. And his mother also lived on the Rosebud 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:41.560 Indian Reservation in South Dakota. So you have 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:43.419 this kind of push and pull. Professional, life 00:02:43.419 --> 00:02:45.620 -demanding movement. Right. And cultural identity 00:02:45.620 --> 00:02:48.639 providing this really vital anchor. He was adapting. 00:02:49.289 --> 00:02:52.509 Constantly, but his roots were solid. That dual 00:02:52.509 --> 00:02:55.030 experience, constant change, but deep roots that 00:02:55.030 --> 00:02:57.930 must have profoundly shaped him. So amidst all 00:02:57.930 --> 00:03:00.909 this, he lands in Omaha, Nebraska, long enough 00:03:00.909 --> 00:03:03.030 to graduate high school. Omaha Central High, 00:03:03.229 --> 00:03:07.490 1985. Yes, and that period in Omaha seems pretty 00:03:07.490 --> 00:03:09.889 crucial for a couple of reasons. Yeah. Well, 00:03:09.930 --> 00:03:12.210 first, it gave him a bit of geographical stability 00:03:12.210 --> 00:03:15.050 for a time. The family lived in areas like Jocelyn 00:03:15.050 --> 00:03:17.979 Castle and Dundee. established neighborhoods. 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:20.900 Okay. But second, and this is really key for 00:03:20.900 --> 00:03:23.939 his path, it's where he got that initial push 00:03:23.939 --> 00:03:26.080 towards acting. From a teacher, right? I saw 00:03:26.080 --> 00:03:30.159 that mentioned. Yes. Peggy Stomes, his high school 00:03:30.159 --> 00:03:33.259 drama teacher. He credits her as a major, major 00:03:33.259 --> 00:03:35.900 influence. You know, you picture him, teenager, 00:03:36.139 --> 00:03:38.740 all that moving around. And then this one teacher 00:03:38.740 --> 00:03:42.340 sees something in him, encourages him not just 00:03:42.340 --> 00:03:45.659 to dabble, but to actually pursue. acting seriously 00:03:45.659 --> 00:03:48.319 that kind of mentorship at that age can change 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:50.159 everything absolutely it's often the turning 00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:52.180 point okay before we get into his first acting 00:03:52.180 --> 00:03:55.099 jobs we have to talk about his name Because that's 00:03:55.099 --> 00:03:57.340 a really rich piece of context the listener was 00:03:57.340 --> 00:04:00.599 interested in. Zahn Tokiaku McLarnon. Oh, definitely. 00:04:00.780 --> 00:04:02.620 This goes way beyond just a name. It's about 00:04:02.620 --> 00:04:06.300 legacy, about culture. So Zahn. Zahn is in honor 00:04:06.300 --> 00:04:09.120 of his maternal great -great -uncle, Frank Francis 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:12.759 B. Zahn. He was an artist, a respected Lakota 00:04:12.759 --> 00:04:16.060 elder from Standing Rock. So when McLarnon uses 00:04:16.060 --> 00:04:19.040 that name, he's carrying that specific history, 00:04:19.180 --> 00:04:21.360 that connection to Lakota art and leadership. 00:04:21.560 --> 00:04:24.649 It's powerful. Wow. And the middle name. Tokiaku. 00:04:24.790 --> 00:04:28.189 Tokiaku. It loosely translates to something like... 00:04:28.389 --> 00:04:30.769 first one to come why that his mother gave it 00:04:30.769 --> 00:04:32.470 to him because he was the first born of twins 00:04:32.470 --> 00:04:35.610 so his full name kind of captures both things 00:04:35.610 --> 00:04:38.730 honoring an ancestor an artist and marking his 00:04:38.730 --> 00:04:41.290 own unique arrival into the world it's a it's 00:04:41.290 --> 00:04:43.850 a very layered identity and maybe helps explain 00:04:43.850 --> 00:04:45.709 some of the commitment to authenticity we see 00:04:45.709 --> 00:04:47.769 later that makes a lot of sense okay so he has 00:04:47.769 --> 00:04:51.850 this deep complex identity this background and 00:04:51.850 --> 00:04:53.829 then he spends the next couple of decades just 00:04:55.350 --> 00:04:58.009 grinding it out right section two the start of 00:04:58.009 --> 00:04:59.810 the acting career the hard yards before the big 00:04:59.810 --> 00:05:01.810 break exactly we've got the adaptability the 00:05:01.810 --> 00:05:03.889 cultural roots now the professional climb and 00:05:03.889 --> 00:05:05.790 it doesn't start on hbo right it starts local 00:05:05.790 --> 00:05:07.790 right his very first professional gig was in 00:05:07.790 --> 00:05:10.709 iowa actually council bluffs a local production 00:05:10.709 --> 00:05:13.069 of jesus christ superstar at the chanticleer 00:05:13.069 --> 00:05:16.170 theater ah okay and did that local scene help 00:05:16.170 --> 00:05:18.750 him get started It did, yeah. Back in Omaha, 00:05:19.009 --> 00:05:21.310 he connected with a local casting director, John 00:05:21.310 --> 00:05:23.569 Jackson. John Jackson. Wasn't he involved with 00:05:23.569 --> 00:05:25.870 Alexander Payne later on? That's the one. He 00:05:25.870 --> 00:05:28.149 became famous for casting Payne's films like 00:05:28.149 --> 00:05:30.889 Sideways, Election. But back then, he was the 00:05:30.889 --> 00:05:34.089 key local contact. Jackson helped McClarnon get 00:05:34.089 --> 00:05:36.649 that early local work, build up some experience 00:05:36.649 --> 00:05:39.350 on camera. Crucial first steps. Absolutely, before 00:05:39.350 --> 00:05:43.050 making the inevitable move. Which was Los Angeles, 00:05:43.310 --> 00:05:46.790 early 90s. Yep, the classic story. Packed up, 00:05:46.810 --> 00:05:49.290 headed to L .A. to really go for it full time. 00:05:49.449 --> 00:05:51.709 So what did those early years in L .A. look like, 00:05:51.769 --> 00:05:55.189 the 90s? Because the sources show he worked consistently. 00:05:55.329 --> 00:05:57.670 Maybe not huge roles, but he was always working. 00:05:57.850 --> 00:06:00.370 It looked like... Well, the life of a working 00:06:00.370 --> 00:06:02.529 actor, but definitely through the lens of the 00:06:02.529 --> 00:06:04.629 kind of typecasting that was really common back 00:06:04.629 --> 00:06:06.790 then. Meaning? Meaning he was often cast in supporting 00:06:06.790 --> 00:06:09.509 roles specifically as the Native American character. 00:06:09.550 --> 00:06:12.149 That was kind of the box Hollywood put him in 00:06:12.149 --> 00:06:14.569 during the 90s. So you see him pop up in big 00:06:14.569 --> 00:06:16.930 shows, but in those specific... kinds of roles. 00:06:17.589 --> 00:06:21.949 Baywatch in 92. Baywatch, really? Yep. Dr. Quinn, 00:06:22.110 --> 00:06:24.589 Madison Woman, he did like five episodes scattered 00:06:24.589 --> 00:06:27.389 across the mid -90s. Walker, Texas Ranger in 00:06:27.389 --> 00:06:29.550 95. Okay, yeah, I can picture those kinds of 00:06:29.550 --> 00:06:32.209 parts. Limited, maybe, but still work on major 00:06:32.209 --> 00:06:34.470 shows. Was that useful training, do you think? 00:06:34.610 --> 00:06:37.170 Oh, absolutely essential. Even if the characters 00:06:37.170 --> 00:06:39.970 weren't deeply written, he was learning the technical 00:06:39.970 --> 00:06:42.930 side of TV production. Hitting marks, working 00:06:42.930 --> 00:06:45.779 fast, maybe some green screen stuff. It's all 00:06:45.779 --> 00:06:48.920 craft. Learning the ropes. Exactly. He took the 00:06:48.920 --> 00:06:51.420 roles available and used them to hone his skills. 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:54.360 And that continued into the 2000s. He started 00:06:54.360 --> 00:06:57.060 getting into more serious miniseries, which offered 00:06:57.060 --> 00:06:59.620 a bit more substance. Into the West. Right. He 00:06:59.620 --> 00:07:01.600 played Running Fox in Into the West in 2005. 00:07:01.959 --> 00:07:05.519 And Ermoke in Comanche Moon in 2008. Still often 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:08.100 historical or Western settings, but maybe a bit 00:07:08.100 --> 00:07:10.360 more character to dig into. And some film work, 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.699 too. I saw Resolution mention the horror movie 00:07:12.699 --> 00:07:15.139 from 2012. Yeah, he kept busy across different 00:07:15.139 --> 00:07:18.420 genres. Not forgotten, Repo Chick. He just seemed 00:07:18.420 --> 00:07:20.819 committed to being on set, learning, working, 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:23.279 building this incredible foundation, really, 00:07:23.379 --> 00:07:25.540 over two decades. Just being ready for when the 00:07:25.540 --> 00:07:27.620 material finally caught up to his talent and 00:07:27.620 --> 00:07:29.779 preparation. Which brings us perfectly into Section 00:07:29.779 --> 00:07:33.279 3, the Breakthrough Era. Let's say roughly 2012 00:07:33.279 --> 00:07:36.439 to 2018. This is where that volume of work starts 00:07:36.439 --> 00:07:39.139 to translate into really high quality, noticeable 00:07:39.139 --> 00:07:42.459 roles. And the bedrock for that sustained visibility, 00:07:42.699 --> 00:07:45.180 I think, was police chief Matthias and Longmire. 00:07:45.259 --> 00:07:48.160 Oh, yes. Longmire. He played the tribal police 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:50.560 chief on the Cheyenne reservation in that. Ran 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:53.319 for a good while, didn't it? 2012 to 2017. That's 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:55.079 right. And Longmire itself had an interesting 00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:57.540 life. Started on A &E, got canceled. But the 00:07:57.540 --> 00:07:59.540 fans saved it. Netflix picked it up. That must 00:07:59.540 --> 00:08:01.639 have helped keep him visible. Definitely. That 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:04.000 dedicated fan basement continued exposure for 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:06.779 five years, built industry awareness and trust. 00:08:07.079 --> 00:08:10.060 Consistency is key. But the real, like the moment 00:08:10.060 --> 00:08:13.639 things shifted gears seems to be 2015. Fargo, 00:08:13.779 --> 00:08:17.959 season two. Yeah, that rolls something else. 00:08:18.019 --> 00:08:20.709 That was the seismic shift. It got huge critical 00:08:20.709 --> 00:08:23.529 acclaim. But Hansi is such a quiet character, 00:08:23.810 --> 00:08:26.470 almost silent sometimes and pretty lethal. Yeah. 00:08:26.569 --> 00:08:28.889 What made that performance stand out so much, 00:08:28.930 --> 00:08:32.029 especially after years of more, let's say, conventional 00:08:32.029 --> 00:08:35.029 TV parts? Well, I think that's exactly why it 00:08:35.029 --> 00:08:37.350 stood out. It was all about what wasn't said. 00:08:37.799 --> 00:08:41.340 Hansi Dent is pure nonverbal communication, pure 00:08:41.340 --> 00:08:44.960 internal life projected outwards. McLarnon had 00:08:44.960 --> 00:08:47.720 to convey this incredible depth, this trauma, 00:08:47.899 --> 00:08:50.820 this searching quality, this danger almost entirely 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:53.340 through his physicality, his eyes, that controlled 00:08:53.340 --> 00:08:56.059 stillness. It wasn't just another stoic native 00:08:56.059 --> 00:08:58.500 trope. No, not at all. No, Hansi was complex, 00:08:58.659 --> 00:09:02.000 damaged, morally gray. He was a Vietnam vet dealing 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:04.200 with so much. And the critics recognized that 00:09:04.200 --> 00:09:07.059 McLarnon wasn't just playing silent. He was imbuing 00:09:07.059 --> 00:09:08.860 that. that silence was something terrifying and 00:09:08.860 --> 00:09:12.200 weirdly empathetic. He held his own against huge 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:15.000 talents, often without saying a word. That performance 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:16.740 really announced a different level of capability, 00:09:17.139 --> 00:09:20.059 didn't it? It screamed prestige actor. It told 00:09:20.059 --> 00:09:22.639 everyone he could handle deep, complex material. 00:09:23.120 --> 00:09:26.159 And right after Fargo, we see clear evidence 00:09:26.159 --> 00:09:30.399 of his kind of growing influence and his commitment 00:09:30.399 --> 00:09:33.279 to authenticity getting stronger. Exactly. He 00:09:33.279 --> 00:09:36.340 immediately stepped into a main role on AMC's 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:40.360 The Sun that ran 2017 to 2019. He played Tosh 00:09:40.360 --> 00:09:42.639 away, a Comanche leader. Right. And this is where 00:09:42.639 --> 00:09:44.340 that story about the language. comes in. This 00:09:44.340 --> 00:09:46.419 is it. This is where his dedication becomes, 00:09:46.580 --> 00:09:49.399 frankly, legendary within the industry. He didn't 00:09:49.399 --> 00:09:51.259 just play a Comanche leader. He committed to 00:09:51.259 --> 00:09:53.279 learning the Comanche language for the part. 00:09:53.519 --> 00:09:56.059 That's way beyond what most actors would do. 00:09:56.159 --> 00:09:59.200 Why is that specific detail so important for 00:09:59.200 --> 00:10:01.080 us to understand his journey? Because it signals 00:10:01.080 --> 00:10:03.360 everything about his approach. In an industry 00:10:03.360 --> 00:10:05.679 where sometimes authenticity gets glossed over, 00:10:05.799 --> 00:10:07.840 taking the time, putting in that incredible effort, 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:11.059 it shows profound respect for the culture he's 00:10:11.059 --> 00:10:13.730 portraying and professionally. It tells producers, 00:10:13.950 --> 00:10:16.429 especially those aiming for accuracy, this guy 00:10:16.429 --> 00:10:18.250 isn't just showing up for a paycheck. He's a 00:10:18.250 --> 00:10:21.269 partner in getting it right. That builds massive 00:10:21.269 --> 00:10:24.029 trust. Trust that leads to bigger opportunities, 00:10:24.230 --> 00:10:26.830 more control down the line. That dedication pays 00:10:26.830 --> 00:10:30.610 off. And speaking of demanding roles, 2018 brings 00:10:30.610 --> 00:10:34.389 us Westworld. Akecheta, leader of the Ghost Nation. 00:10:35.350 --> 00:10:38.090 Many people point to this as maybe his defining 00:10:38.090 --> 00:10:41.210 performance up to that point. Akecheta is just... 00:10:41.210 --> 00:10:43.330 Okay. Wow, it's the perfect example of taking 00:10:43.330 --> 00:10:45.870 a recurring character and making them the absolute 00:10:45.870 --> 00:10:49.990 emotional core of a huge, complex show. He wasn't 00:10:49.990 --> 00:10:52.190 even main cast for most of it, was he? Mostly 00:10:52.190 --> 00:10:55.210 recurring, yeah. But then came the season two 00:10:55.210 --> 00:10:57.649 episode, Kiksuya. Ah, Kiksuya. Everyone talks 00:10:57.649 --> 00:10:59.990 about that episode. For good reason. It was almost 00:10:59.990 --> 00:11:03.009 entirely focused on Akecheta's story, his awakening, 00:11:03.210 --> 00:11:05.769 his search. And for that... That one hour, McLarnon 00:11:05.769 --> 00:11:08.590 was credited as main cast. It was his episode. 00:11:08.850 --> 00:11:10.570 And it's often called one of the best episodes 00:11:10.570 --> 00:11:12.370 of the entire series. Yeah. How did he pull that 00:11:12.370 --> 00:11:14.370 off, especially since Akecheta speaks mostly 00:11:14.370 --> 00:11:16.409 Lakota and sign language in the show? Again, 00:11:16.549 --> 00:11:19.029 it's that ability to communicate pure emotion, 00:11:19.370 --> 00:11:22.070 bypassing complex dialogue. The episode traces 00:11:22.070 --> 00:11:24.409 his journey to consciousness, this heartbreaking 00:11:24.409 --> 00:11:26.870 search for his lost love, becoming a guide for 00:11:26.870 --> 00:11:30.169 his people. It's epic and deeply personal. And 00:11:30.169 --> 00:11:33.080 the critics ate it up. The sources mention Rotten 00:11:33.080 --> 00:11:35.080 Tomatoes calling it a heart -wrenching, formidable 00:11:35.080 --> 00:11:38.360 performance that, and this is the quote, elevates 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:40.360 the episode to one of the best of the entire 00:11:40.360 --> 00:11:43.259 series. Incredible. He achieved that by bringing 00:11:43.259 --> 00:11:45.840 together everything, the decades of technical 00:11:45.840 --> 00:11:48.240 skill, that deep emotional understanding from 00:11:48.240 --> 00:11:50.539 his own background, and just delivering this 00:11:50.539 --> 00:11:53.519 performance full of pathos. It cut through all 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:56.179 the show's complex sci -fi stuff and hit you 00:11:56.179 --> 00:11:58.639 right in the heart. Okay, so we've gone from... 00:11:59.049 --> 00:12:01.370 The high school drama teacher, through the grind, 00:12:01.429 --> 00:12:04.110 the Fargo shift, the Westworld peak. Now we're 00:12:04.110 --> 00:12:06.870 into section four, lead roles and modern projects. 00:12:07.090 --> 00:12:08.889 This is where all that hard -earned prestige 00:12:08.889 --> 00:12:11.350 really translates into leadership. Yeah, the 00:12:11.350 --> 00:12:13.450 early 2020s, this is where you see him fully 00:12:13.450 --> 00:12:15.570 step into his power in the industry. A great 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:18.190 example is his role as Officer Big in Reservation 00:12:18.190 --> 00:12:22.110 Dog. Which ran 2021 to 2023. And Reservation 00:12:22.110 --> 00:12:24.429 Dogs itself was such a significant show, wasn't 00:12:24.429 --> 00:12:27.129 it? Oh, hugely significant. A landmark series 00:12:27.129 --> 00:12:30.470 created by... written by, starring Native talent, 00:12:30.590 --> 00:12:33.309 it really changed the game for Native representation 00:12:33.309 --> 00:12:36.590 in comedy and drama. His presence there in that 00:12:36.590 --> 00:12:39.590 specific show cemented his place at the heart 00:12:39.590 --> 00:12:42.110 of this important cultural moment in TV. And 00:12:42.110 --> 00:12:44.070 from there, he jumps into one of the biggest 00:12:44.070 --> 00:12:46.309 franchises on the planet. Right. The Marvel Cinematic 00:12:46.309 --> 00:12:48.830 Universe. He plays William Lopez, Maya Lopez's 00:12:48.830 --> 00:12:51.169 father. We saw him first in Hawkeye in 2021. 00:12:51.450 --> 00:12:53.669 And then reprised the role more significantly 00:12:53.669 --> 00:12:56.970 in Echo just this year, 2024, appearing in the 00:12:56.970 --> 00:13:00.070 MCU. That tells you his recognition factor, his 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:03.610 bankability is now completely mainstream, global 00:13:03.610 --> 00:13:06.139 even. But the project that feels like the culmination, 00:13:06.179 --> 00:13:08.480 the one that brings his acting and his industry 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:10.899 clout together, that's got to be Dark Winds. 00:13:11.059 --> 00:13:13.600 Dark Winds, absolutely. AMC series Psychological 00:13:13.600 --> 00:13:16.840 Thriller started in 2022. This is it. He's the 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:19.460 lead, Joe Leaforn, based on those classic Tony 00:13:19.460 --> 00:13:21.399 Hillerman novels. It's been really well received, 00:13:21.700 --> 00:13:24.039 quickly renewed. This is him front and center 00:13:24.039 --> 00:13:26.679 carrying a series. It's his moment as the number 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:29.220 one on the call sheet. Not just the standout 00:13:29.220 --> 00:13:31.919 supporting player, but the guy the whole show 00:13:31.919 --> 00:13:34.379 rests on. And this is the critical point we need 00:13:34.379 --> 00:13:36.580 to stress for the listener. The sources are clear 00:13:36.580 --> 00:13:38.899 on this. Look at the credits. He's not just the 00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:41.659 star. No. He's also an executive producer on 00:13:41.659 --> 00:13:44.120 Dark Winds. And that title, executive producer, 00:13:44.320 --> 00:13:47.039 that's the real so what here, isn't it? It's 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.899 everything. That EP credit means genuine creative 00:13:50.899 --> 00:13:54.220 input. Genuine control. He's not just saying 00:13:54.220 --> 00:13:56.440 the lines someone else wrote. He's helping shape 00:13:56.440 --> 00:13:59.519 the entire vision. Especially for a show adapting 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:02.019 beloved source material like Hillerman's books 00:14:02.019 --> 00:14:05.480 and focusing on Navajo culture, having that native 00:14:05.480 --> 00:14:07.980 voice at the producer level seems vital. It's 00:14:07.980 --> 00:14:10.360 absolutely crucial. As an EP, he has a say in 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:12.840 the big decisions, budget, hiring writers and 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:15.000 crew, ensuring cultural accuracy, protecting 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:17.100 the integrity of the story and its representation. 00:14:17.500 --> 00:14:19.600 So he can help prevent the kind of typecasting 00:14:19.600 --> 00:14:21.820 or shallow portrayals he probably experienced 00:14:21.820 --> 00:14:24.360 early in his career? Precisely. Think about it. 00:14:24.700 --> 00:14:26.679 He went from taking the roles that were offered, 00:14:26.860 --> 00:14:29.399 sometimes limited roles, to now being in a position 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:32.299 to help define what roles get created and how 00:14:32.299 --> 00:14:35.100 they're portrayed systemically. It's the ultimate 00:14:35.100 --> 00:14:38.139 payoff for decades of excellence and perseverance. 00:14:38.320 --> 00:14:40.299 And he's still diversifying. We saw him as the 00:14:40.299 --> 00:14:43.139 main villain, Crow Daddy, in Doctor Sleep back 00:14:43.139 --> 00:14:45.740 in 2019, a big Stephen King movie. Showing he 00:14:45.740 --> 00:14:48.139 can carry that antagonist weight in a major horror 00:14:48.139 --> 00:14:50.440 film. And then, completely different year, he 00:14:50.440 --> 00:14:52.720 pops up in the Jennifer Lawrence comedy No Hard 00:14:52.720 --> 00:14:55.179 Feelings last year. Right. As Gabe Sawyer. See, 00:14:55.259 --> 00:14:57.259 he's got that range. Totally. Moving between 00:14:57.259 --> 00:15:00.700 intense drama, thrillers, the MCU, broad comedy, 00:15:00.860 --> 00:15:04.019 plus doing voice work like Ulrox in Castlevania, 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:07.419 Nocturne, or in Ark, the animated series. He's 00:15:07.419 --> 00:15:09.720 proving his versatility is pretty much limitless 00:15:09.720 --> 00:15:12.179 now. It's an incredible trajectory. But, you 00:15:12.179 --> 00:15:14.360 know, journeys like this are never smooth. They 00:15:14.360 --> 00:15:17.059 always involve challenges, setbacks. Let's touch 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:19.759 on Section 5. challenges and personal insights 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:22.360 because resilience is clearly a huge part of 00:15:22.360 --> 00:15:25.320 his story. Yeah, you can't understand the success 00:15:25.320 --> 00:15:28.769 without acknowledging. the struggles the sources 00:15:28.769 --> 00:15:31.309 mention he's been quite open in interviews about 00:15:31.309 --> 00:15:33.990 his past struggles with substance abuse right 00:15:33.990 --> 00:15:36.450 and being willing to talk about that adds another 00:15:36.450 --> 00:15:38.929 layer doesn't it it shows that the focus and 00:15:38.929 --> 00:15:41.649 dedication we see on screen that wasn't necessarily 00:15:41.649 --> 00:15:44.850 easy it was fought for maintained against significant 00:15:44.850 --> 00:15:48.049 personal challenges it underlines his resilience 00:15:48.049 --> 00:15:51.690 and there was also A really serious physical 00:15:51.690 --> 00:15:54.409 setback during that peak Westworld period. Yes, 00:15:54.450 --> 00:15:58.230 that accident in late 2017. It sounds quite serious. 00:15:58.509 --> 00:16:01.230 He fell at home, suffered a brain injury, needed 00:16:01.230 --> 00:16:03.909 hospitalization. And it actually impacted filming. 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:06.289 It did. They had to briefly halt production on 00:16:06.289 --> 00:16:08.750 Westworld Saturn II while he recovered. For an 00:16:08.750 --> 00:16:11.289 actor, a brain injury. That must be terrifying. 00:16:11.370 --> 00:16:13.450 It impacts memory, focus, everything you rely 00:16:13.450 --> 00:16:15.759 on. What does his recovery say about him? It 00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:17.919 says volumes. To come back from something like 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:20.039 that, a serious brain injury, and not just return 00:16:20.039 --> 00:16:22.419 to set, but deliver that performance in Kiksuya, 00:16:22.580 --> 00:16:24.940 which aired the next year, the one critics called 00:16:24.940 --> 00:16:27.440 one of the best. It's extraordinary. It really 00:16:27.440 --> 00:16:30.200 confirms that the discipline, the intensity he 00:16:30.200 --> 00:16:32.840 built up over all those years, it wasn't just 00:16:32.840 --> 00:16:34.820 for acting. It was part of his core character. 00:16:35.240 --> 00:16:37.639 It allowed him to overcome something physically 00:16:37.639 --> 00:16:41.059 devastating and still hit a career high. So if 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:43.179 we pull back and look at the whole arc now, the 00:16:43.179 --> 00:16:45.500 moving childhood, the early typecasting grind, 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:48.500 the breakthrough roles, the producing, what's 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:50.600 the main takeaway about how he navigated the 00:16:50.600 --> 00:16:53.240 industry? What's really striking is how he took 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:55.899 roles that could have been limiting, roles often 00:16:55.899 --> 00:16:58.539 defined by ethnicity, and turned them into showcases 00:16:58.539 --> 00:17:01.299 for deep, complex humanity. Right. He didn't 00:17:01.299 --> 00:17:03.620 just play the native character. No. In the 90s, 00:17:03.620 --> 00:17:05.740 maybe the roles were just that. But when Prestige 00:17:05.740 --> 00:17:08.480 TV started offering characters with real psychological 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:12.640 depth like Hansi Dent's Ambiguity or Hakucheta's 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:14.900 Existential Journey, he used his understanding 00:17:14.900 --> 00:17:17.279 of his heritage not as a boundary, but as a source 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.019 of richness and complexity. He elevated the material. 00:17:20.299 --> 00:17:22.559 So he transcended the typecasting by simply being 00:17:22.559 --> 00:17:26.539 too good to ignore. Essentially, yes. He imbued 00:17:26.539 --> 00:17:28.640 those specialized roles with such undeniable 00:17:28.640 --> 00:17:30.740 quality, such three -dimensional life that the 00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:33.059 industry had to take notice. His performances 00:17:33.059 --> 00:17:35.740 demanded better roles. He took the available 00:17:35.740 --> 00:17:39.660 parts, mastered the craft with them, and eventually 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:42.200 leveraged that skill into real power. That's 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:44.200 it, exactly. You see the signs all along the 00:17:44.200 --> 00:17:46.900 way. Learning Comanche for the son, that wasn't 00:17:46.900 --> 00:17:49.420 just prepping for a role, it was building his 00:17:49.420 --> 00:17:52.420 reputation as someone deeply committed to authenticity, 00:17:52.759 --> 00:17:55.079 someone you could trust as a creative partner. 00:17:55.359 --> 00:17:58.119 Turning that recurring Westworld part into an 00:17:58.119 --> 00:18:00.849 Emmy -worthy event. That showed he could lift 00:18:00.849 --> 00:18:03.630 an entire production. It's that consistent track 00:18:03.630 --> 00:18:06.670 record of excellence, that dedication, that finally 00:18:06.670 --> 00:18:09.309 gave him the leverage to demand and get the executive 00:18:09.309 --> 00:18:12.549 producer title on Dark Winds. His career is a 00:18:12.549 --> 00:18:14.589 masterclass in how specializing and doing it 00:18:14.589 --> 00:18:16.670 with absolute commitment can ultimately lead 00:18:16.670 --> 00:18:19.349 to the most powerful positions. What a story. 00:18:19.470 --> 00:18:22.130 From that rough childhood. Constantly moving, 00:18:22.309 --> 00:18:24.690 finding a start in Iowa community theater, putting 00:18:24.690 --> 00:18:27.289 in the decades as a supporting actor, facing 00:18:27.289 --> 00:18:29.829 down personal demons and serious injury to becoming 00:18:29.829 --> 00:18:32.589 a critical darling in shows like Fargo and Westworld, 00:18:32.710 --> 00:18:35.970 joining the MCU and now finally leading his own 00:18:35.970 --> 00:18:38.650 acclaimed series and having a say in how it's 00:18:38.650 --> 00:18:40.990 made as an executive producer. The structure 00:18:40.990 --> 00:18:44.509 of the career path, local start, supporting work, 00:18:44.609 --> 00:18:46.890 critical acclaimed lead role might look familiar, 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:50.740 but the way he executed it. The choices he made, 00:18:50.779 --> 00:18:53.240 the dedication he showed, particularly regarding 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:57.000 cultural authenticity, that's all him. It's a 00:18:57.000 --> 00:18:59.400 powerful example of building a career for the 00:18:59.400 --> 00:19:01.859 long haul and achieving real creative autonomy. 00:19:02.259 --> 00:19:04.420 So for you listening, what's the final takeaway 00:19:04.420 --> 00:19:06.539 here? What should you be watching for when you 00:19:06.539 --> 00:19:09.250 see Zahn McLarnon now? I think the really provocative 00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:11.049 thought here is about the intersection of his 00:19:11.049 --> 00:19:13.109 journey and the shifts happening in television 00:19:13.109 --> 00:19:15.970 itself. His success, especially his role as an 00:19:15.970 --> 00:19:18.710 EP on Dark Winds, isn't just about him. It reflects 00:19:18.710 --> 00:19:21.170 a broader, maybe tentative, but hopefully real 00:19:21.170 --> 00:19:23.549 move in the industry. A move towards. Towards 00:19:23.549 --> 00:19:26.049 prioritizing nuanced, authentic Native American 00:19:26.049 --> 00:19:29.029 stories told with Native talent involved at the 00:19:29.029 --> 00:19:32.069 highest creative levels. His heritage, which 00:19:32.069 --> 00:19:34.349 might have limited his roles decades ago, is 00:19:34.349 --> 00:19:37.349 now central to prestige projects. And his position. 00:19:37.390 --> 00:19:39.930 as an executive producer is tangible proof of 00:19:39.930 --> 00:19:41.950 that shift in who gets to shape the narrative. 00:19:42.190 --> 00:19:44.190 So we should keep an eye on his producing role, 00:19:44.309 --> 00:19:47.509 not just his acting. Definitely. Watch his involvement 00:19:47.509 --> 00:19:49.750 in Dark Winds. Watch for any future projects 00:19:49.750 --> 00:19:51.809 where he takes on producing or even directing 00:19:51.809 --> 00:19:54.569 roles. Because his career right now serves as 00:19:54.569 --> 00:19:57.450 a kind of bellwether. It helps us gauge how deep 00:19:57.450 --> 00:19:59.710 this commitment to authentic storytelling and 00:19:59.710 --> 00:20:01.569 creative control for underrepresented voices 00:20:01.569 --> 00:20:04.589 truly runs in Hollywood. He's not just reflecting 00:20:04.589 --> 00:20:05.950 change, he's helping drive it.