Zahn McClarnon facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zahn McClarnon
McClarnon in 2016
Born	Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon (1966-10-24) 24 October 1966 (age 58) Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Education	Omaha Central High School
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1992–present

Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon is a talented Native American actor. He is well-known for his roles in popular TV shows like Longmire, Fargo, and Westworld. Since 2022, he has been the main star of the AMC series Dark Winds, where he plays Joe Leaphorn. You might also recognize him from the FX on Hulu show Reservation Dogs and the Marvel series Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2024).

Early Life and School Days

Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon was born in Denver, Colorado. His mother is from the Hunkpapa Lakota tribe, and his father has Irish family roots. He spent his early years near Browning, Montana. His father worked at Glacier National Park for the National Park Service.

Growing Up and Family

Zahn often visited the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, where his mother grew up. He would stay with his grandparents there on weekends and for longer visits. His mother also lived on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When his father's job moved them, the family lived in Omaha, Nebraska. Zahn has a twin brother.

He lived in many different states while growing up, including Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Ohio, and Montana. He has said that his childhood was challenging because of all the moves.

High School and Inspiration

In 1986, Zahn graduated from Omaha Central High School. He gives a lot of credit to his drama teacher, Peggy Stommes. She was a big influence on him and helped him discover his love for acting.

Acting Career Highlights

Zahn McClarnon started his acting journey in a local play called Jesus Christ Superstar. This was at the Chanticleer Theater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He met John Jackson, a casting director from Omaha, who helped him find local acting jobs. In the early 1990s, Zahn moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career further.

Early Roles and Movies

In 2005, Zahn played Running Fox in the miniseries Into the West for TNT. He also starred in the 2009 movie Not Forgotten and the comedy film Repo Chick. In 2013, he appeared in the horror movie Resolution. He had a repeating role as Bodaway Macawi in the TV show Ringer. He also played Mike Parker in the first four episodes of the SundanceTV series The Red Road.

Key TV Series Roles

From 2012 to 2017, Zahn McClarnon played Mathias in Longmire. Mathias was the Chief of Indian Tribal Police on the Cheyenne reservation. The show first aired on A&E and later moved to Netflix.

He also played Hanzee Dent in the second season of Fargo. His acting in this role was highly praised by critics. Zahn appeared in Timeless as Native American U.S. Marshal Grant Johnson. In the AMC Network show The Son, he played Toshaway. For this role, he learned the Comanche language.

Westworld and Reservation Dogs

Zahn McClarnon played Akecheta, the leader of the Ghost Nation, in HBO's Westworld. He was a main character in the episode "Kiksuya" in the second season, which focused on his character's past. His performance in this episode was very well-received. Critics said he gave a "heart-wrenching, formidable performance" that made the episode one of the best in the series.

In 2019, McClarnon was Crow Daddy, a main bad guy, in the movie Doctor Sleep. Since 2021, he has played Officer Big in the comedy-drama Reservation Dogs.

Dark Winds Lead Role

In 2021, it was announced that Zahn McClarnon would star as Joe Leaphorn in Dark Winds. This is a psychological thriller TV series on AMC. It started on June 12, 2022, and was quickly renewed for a second season because it was so popular.

Personal Life and Health

Zahn McClarnon's first name honors his great-great-uncle, Frank "Francis" B. Zahn. He was an artist and a Lakota elder from Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Zahn's middle name, Tokiya-ku, means "first one to come." His mother gave him this name because he was the first of his twin brothers to be born.

In late 2017, Zahn had an accident at his home and needed to go to the hospital. He has fully recovered from this incident.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

See also

In Spanish: Zahn McClarnon para niños