‘Yellowstone’ Star Gil Birmingham Has ‘Big Love’ For His Co-Star Mo Brings Plenty — His Character ‘Provides Such a Great Cultural Anchor for Rainwater’ [Exclusive]
Yellowstone star Gil Birmingham (Chief Thomas Rainwater) has nothing but praise for his co-star, Mo Brings Plenty (Mo). The two actors knew each other for years before they joined the cast of Taylor Sheridan’s neo-western. And Birmingham says that working together has brought them closer.
‘Yellowstone’s’ Gil Birmingham has ‘big love’ for his co-star Mo Brings Plenty
Showbiz Cheat Sheet recently got the chance to talk with Birmingham ahead of Yellowstone Season 5. We asked him about his relationship with Brings Plenty, and he says it’s as close off-screen as it is on.
“I’ve known Mo for probably about 12 years and I was just actually thrilled when he came on onboard, and how his character’s really developed as a partner,” Birmingham said.
“He provides such a great cultural anchor for Rainwater. And since most of our scenes are together, you know, we spend a lot of time offscreen together. Probably more than we do any of the other characters. Got big, big love for Mo and Sarah, his wife, and their son Jernyce.”
Mo Brings Plenty instantly connected with Taylor Sheridan
Properly representing Native American culture in Yellowstone was important to creator Taylor Sheridan, and Brings Plenty says that he immediately noticed that when he first met with him for the role of Mo.
“The moment that Taylor and I met it was an instant connection because he knew a family from back home, the reservation that I’m from, and I knew that same family…it made me realize that this is an individual who truly has a heart for Indian country,” he told Char-Koosta News.
“And so a majority of the time people will say ‘come stand with me’ but you end up standing behind them, where Taylor Sheridan, if he’s sitting at a table, he makes room at that table for you to sit beside him.”
Mo Brings Plenty’s real-life family appeared in ‘Yellowstone’ Season 4
Brings Plenty admits that he almost quit acting before he landed the role of Mo on Yellowstone. He says he talked to his family about it, and decided he would just finish up the year to see what happens. Before the year was over, Yellowstone came about. And it’s changed the course of Brings Plenty’s acting career.
During season 4, he actually got the chance to enjoy his newfound career success with his real-life family. In a brief scene, fans got a glimpse at Mo’s personal life when he’s seen at home with his wife and teenage son.
In the brief scene, Mo’s wife is making paper bag lunches. And when he sees that he’s getting peanut butter and jelly and their son is getting roast beef, he asks why their son gets the meat instead of him.
Mo and his exchange end up exchanging lunches, then he kisses his wife goodbye and goes to the barn where he’s holding the “party planner” who helped arrange the hit on the Duttons. That’s who gets the roast beef sandwich.
As the episode aired, the official Yellowstone Twitter account revealed that “Mo’s wife and son” in the scene were “played by his real-life family.”
Yellowstone Season 5 premieres Sunday, November 13 on the Paramount Network.
