A major character in Paramount+'s 1923 has been recast for Season 2, and the reasons behind the replacement are tragic.
Son of Hank Plenty Clouds, Pete Plenty Clouds was the first to alert Runs His Horse that his daughter, Teonna Rainwater, had escaped the abusive North Dakota Boarding School for Native Americans where she was residing.
Despite warnings from her father, Pete Plenty Clouds and Teonna quickly kindled a romance that will be explored further in Season 2.
How Did Pete From 1923 Die?
Tragically, just months before 1923 Season 2 began filming in July, Cole Brings Plenty, the actor who brought Pete Plenty Clouds to life in Season 1, was found dead in Kansas at age 27 (via BBC News).
His family reported him missing after he did not attend an appointment with his agent, and his body was discovered when police investigated an unoccupied vehicle.
The 1923 actor had been named as a suspect in a domestic violence cast days earlier when officers "responded to reports of a female screaming." That said, Brings Plenty fled the scene before local police arrived, and traffic cameras spotted him leaving the city shortly after the incident.
According to TV Insider, an investigation into Brings Plenty's passing by Kansas police ruled there was no evidence of foul play, and the cause of death was sealed, meaning it has not been revealed at this time.
1923's sophomore premiere opened with a heartfelt "In Memoriam" tribute to Brings Plenty after the Season 1 recap with several shots of Pete Plenty Clouds.
Stepping into Season 2, Pete Plenty Clouds has stuck around and is now played by Jeremy Gauna, best known for his role in American Primeval (read more about the cast of 1923 Season 2).
Despite being a newcomer to 1923, Gauna is no stranger to the Yellowstone universe. He previously played a warrior in two episodes of 1883.
Actress Aminah Nieves, who plays Pete Plenty Clouds' love interest, Teonna Rainwater, spoke with USA Today at Season 2's Los Angeles premiere and revealed Brings Plenty was "so excited" to reprise his role.
The 1923 actress referred to the actor by his nickname, Coco, and spoke on how excited he was to learn "he was going to be in almost every episode." Brings Plenty even anticipated the romantic arc he was going to share with Nieves, despite finding it "kind of gross" due to their sibling dynamic in real life:
"Coco was my brother. The only reason I'm here tonight is to honor him wholeheartedly. He was so excited, especially when he learned that he was going to be in almost every episode. It was like, 'Wait, you're (like) my sister, and I'm your brother, which is kind of gross.' But he loved it."
Nieves continued her tribute to Brings Plenty in an interview with TV Insider, saying recasting the role was "the best thing [they] could’ve done.” She discussed the struggles of returning after her friend's passing, saying how she "could have easily gone into this with a lot of [resentment, hate, and pain]:"
“I could have easily gone into this with a lot of resentment and with a lot of hate and a lot of pain. And it’s not to say that I didn’t at first, but there comes a moment where you have to really think about the person that Coco was. And he’s my brother. We talked every day about this. He lives on and with us every day. He was so excited and so happy to be a part of something of this magnitude."
The actress continued to note the "extreme weight" Gauna took on in taking over as Pete Plenty Clouds, praising how he did it with "such grace:"
"I could have sat there and been sad, or I could have sat there and honored him in the best way and uplifted Jeremy Gauna too for coming here and holding all of that weight, which it’s an extreme weight to hold and to come in and take over for Coco. And he did it with such grace.”
The first episode of 1923 Season 2 is streaming on Paramount+, and new episodes will follow weekly.
