Zahn McClarnon

Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon (born October 24, 1966) is a Native American (Hunkpapa Lakota) actor, best known for his television work. He first came to prominence with key supporting roles as tribal police chief Mathias on Longmire (2012–17), Hanzee Dent on the second season of Fargo, Toshaway on The Son (2017–19), and Akecheta on the second season of Westworld (2018). Since 2022, he has played the lead role of Joe Leaphorn in the AMC series Dark Winds, of which he is also an executive producer.

McClarnon's other notable roles include William Lopez in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Hawkeye (2021) and Echo (2024), Officer Big in Reservation Dogs (2021–23), and the voice of Olrox in Castlevania: Nocturne (2023–present).

Early life and education Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon He grew up near Browning, Montana, where his father worked at Glacier National Park for the National Park Service.

In 1985, McClarnon graduated from Omaha Central High School. He credits his drama teacher, Peggy Stommes, as a big influence. McClarnon moved to Phoenix after high school. He went on trips to Los Angeles with friends, until one day he decided to stay.

Career

McClarnon got his start in a local production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Chanticleer Theater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He connected with John Jackson, a local Omaha casting director who later became known for his work with director Alexander Payne. McClarnon gained some local work and in the early 1990s, he moved to Los Angeles for his career.

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

From 2012 to 2017, McClarnon portrayed Mathias, the Chief of Indian Tribal Police of the Cheyenne reservation, in Longmire, originally an A&E and later a Netflix television series.

McClarnon portrayed Hanzee Dent in the second season of the TV series Fargo, where his performance received critical acclaim. He appeared in the TV series Timeless as Native American U.S. Marshal Grant Johnson in the episode "The Murder of Jesse James". McClarnon appeared as Toshaway in AMC Network's The Son, for which he learned the Comanche language.

McClarnon appeared as Akecheta, the leader of the Ghost Nation, in HBO's Westworld. Although usually credited as a recurring character, McClarnon was credited as a main cast member in "Kiksuya", the eighth episode of the second season, which focuses on his character's backstory. His performance in the episode received critical acclaim, with the critic's consensus on the review aggregate website Rotten Tomatoes stating that McClarnon delivered a "heart-wrenching, formidable performance" that elevates the episode to "one of the best of the entire series".

In 2019, McClarnon appeared as Crow Daddy, a central antagonist, in the film Doctor Sleep. Since 2021, McClarnon has portrayed Officer Big in the comedy-drama Reservation Dogs.

In 2021, it was announced that McClarnon would star as Joe Leaphorn in Dark Winds, a psychological thriller television series on AMC. It premiered on June 12, 2022 and is now going on its fourth season, which premiered February 15, 2026. McClarnon's middle name, Tokiya-ku, loosely translates to mean "first one to come." He was given that name by his mother because he was the first delivered in a set of twins.

In late 2017, McClarnon fell at his home and suffered a brain injury, requiring hospitalization. The accident caused a brief shutdown of production for Westworld. He has since recovered.

McClarnon has discussed his struggles with substance abuse in interviews.

Filmography Film

Television

Video games Year Title Role Notes 2010 Red Dead Redemption The Local Population