It didn’t take long for Reservation Dogs to secure Hollywood’s stamp of approval. In the year since its debut, the FX dramedy—which is co-created by Oscar-winner Taika Waititi—has clinched a Peabody, a Golden Globe nomination and an Independent Spirit Award for best ensemble cast. The team itself is an entertainment industry anomaly, though: every single one of the show’s writers and actors is Indigenous—including fan favourite Paulina Alexis.
Alexis soon landed a role in Beans, an acclaimed 2020 drama from Mohawk filmmaker Tracey Deer. Six months later, she caught wind of an upcoming series about four teens on an Oklahoma reserve. Alexis initially auditioned for Elora Danan, the show’s female lead, but the showrunners thought she was better suited to play the wily Willie Jack—a role originally written for a male actor. In true Canadian form, she found out she got the part while watching a hockey game.
Occasionally, worlds collide: at last year’s Emmys, Alexis wore a beaded eagle affixed to her braid and a long skirt to hide the leg bruises she incurred while racing horses in an Indian relay four days before. “I’ve got a ton of followers on Instagram, and I go to L.A. a lot for free, but not that much has changed,” says Alexis, whose next role is on CBC’s Bones of Crows. “I put on new shoes here and there, but I’m still wearing the same slides I wore on the rez.
Alexis_Nakota Thank you for information. Do you know that because of Israel's Apartheid Regime, a Palestinian person cannot vote in their own country?