Zahn McClarnon Says ‘Dark Winds’ Taught Him More Than 30 Years in Hollywood

Veteran actor Zahn McClarnon says working on the hit series Dark Winds has been the most transformative experience of his decades-long career.

“I’ve learned more in the last four seasons than in 30 years,” McClarnon revealed in a recent interview. The actor, who plays Navajo Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, also serves as an executive producer on the show.

McClarnon has appeared in major projects like Westworld, Fargo, and Longmire, but says Dark Winds offered something deeper. “I’ve been on cloud nine for the last decade,” he said, “but this role has allowed me to explore emotional depth and cultural truth like never before.”

In one powerful moment from Season 3, McClarnon had to film a difficult scene involving grief and memory. He asked the director to hold his hand off-camera during the take. “It was emotional, very real,” he said. “I trusted the process, and the team.”

Dark Winds stands out for its Indigenous storytelling. The show features Native writers, Navajo language consultants, and a majority of Native directors. McClarnon emphasized the importance of representation behind the camera as much as in front of it.

“We’re humanizing and normalizing Native people on television,” he said. “That’s something I’ve been fighting for my entire career.”

McClarnon will also make his directorial debut in the show’s upcoming fourth season, which has already been greenlit. Season 3 is currently airing on AMC.