Yellowstone star Mo Brings Plenty adores the show and his character, Mo. But his passions reach far beyond the camera, and even beyond his own interests. In addition to acting, the Yellowstone star is a lifelong rancher as well as a dedicated environmental and Native American activist.
Mo Brings Plenty’s acting career stretches back more than a decade. It reached new heights with Yellowstone, however, and the actor is eager to share that success with other Native people.
He couldn’t be in a more perfect place to achieve this goal, as Yellowstone is among the first shows to have an entire department dedicated to Native American involvement.
“I try to get more of the people involved, the grassroots people, like our language speakers and our artisans,” Brings Plenty explained in an interview with Char-Koosta News, an outlet based out of the Flathead Indian Reservation. “I try to get more and more of our tribal people involved in this industry because there’s so many different avenues to it.”
“It’s not just about acting,” he continued. “There [are] so many other avenues that Native people could be doing. I would like to see more and more Native people involved behind the camera as well.”
“Our people are very important to me, always, first and foremost. And then the things that we do, whether it’s a powwow or it’s a rodeo,” he said. “I always try to make myself a part of it somehow, some way. I’m blessed with an opportunity, with a platform. But I’m trying to make space on this platform and help it to grow for other Native people to be involved.”
‘Yellowstone’ Star Mo Brings Plenty Describes Meeting Taylor Sheridan
For Mo Brings Plenty, he knew Yellowstone was the ideal project when he learned its starring actor was Kevin Costner. Why? Because Dances with Wolves sparked his interest in filmmaking.
Before that movie, positive representation of Native Americans in media was scarce. But the Kevin Costner film showed him that he could follow his dreams.
“Dances with Wolves was my saving grace,” the Yellowstone star recalled. “Because it was a time, it was during an era of my life that I was struggling with my own identity. And that was such an impact and a positive impact that it helped me to embrace who I am even more.”
Then Mo Brings Plenty met Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan and knew for sure he made the right choice. “The moment that Taylor and I met it was an instant connection,” Mo explained. “Because he knew a family from back home, the reservation that I’m from, and I knew that same family. And so we hit it off right out of the gate.”
“It made me realize that this is an individual who truly has a heart for Indian country,” he continued. “A majority of the time, people will say ‘come stand with me,’ but you end up standing behind them. Where Taylor Sheridan, if he’s sitting at a table, he makes room at that table for you to sit beside him.”
