All Major Actors & Cast List for Dark Winds Season 2

One of the most acclaimed original series on AMC is the crime thriller Dark Winds, adapting author Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee novels. After premiering in 2022, Dark Winds returned for a well-received second season in 2023. Here are all the major actors and cast for Dark Winds Season 2.

All Major Actors for Dark Winds Season 2

Zahn McClarnon as Joe Leaphorn

Executive producer Zahn McClarnon stars as Dark Winds protagonist Joe Leaphorn, a no-nonsense tribal police officer in the small town of Kayenta within Navajo County. When the series begins, Leaphorn and his wife are still mourning the accidental death of their only son who perished at an oil drilling site. McClarnon has also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Echo and Hawkeye, as well as in a memorable supporting role in Doctor Sleep.

Kiowa Gordon as Jim Chee

Leaphorn’s newest deputy at the start of Dark Winds is Jim Chee, played by Kiowa Gordon. Chee started out as an undercover FBI agent assigned to keep an eye on his superior’s interests in Navajo County before deciding to give his full loyalty to solving crimes on and around the reservation. Gordon appeared prominently in The Twilight Saga movies as werewolf Embry Call, a close friend to fellow werewolf Jacob Black.

Jessica Matten as Bernadette Manuelito

Rounding out the Kayenta tribal police’s leading trio is Deputy Bernadette Manuelito, who has worked alongside Leaphorn for several years and is the only woman currently on the force. Played by Jessica Matten, Manuelito can more than hold her own in the face of the county’s most nefarious threats and develops a burgeoning romantic interest in Chee. Matten’s biggest role outside of Dark Winds to date is in the 2020 horror movie The Empty Man.

Deanna Allison as Emma Leaphorn

Joe’s spouse is Emma Leaphorn, who works as a nurse primarily out of the maternity ward at the local hospital. As strong-willed as her husband, Emma is a prominent part of the community and helps those in need, especially the young Sally Growing Thunder. Dark Winds marks actor Deanna Allison’s biggest acting role to date, with Allison being a Navajo member of the Colorado River Indian Tribes.

Elva Guerra as Sally Growing Thunder

In the first season, Joe and Emma took Sally Growing Thunder, a pregnant teenager from a particularly troubled domestic background, into their home for refuge. Since the events of Dark Winds Season 1, Sally has given birth to a son and is raising him with the help of the Leaphorns and the fresh start they’ve given her. Sally is played by Elva Guerra of the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma, with Guerra having previously appeared in the acclaimed comedy Reservation Dogs.

Nicholas Logan as Colton Wolf

The primary antagonist of Dark Winds Season 2, Colton Wolf is a sadistic killer prowling Navajo County and the surrounding area, putting him on a collision course with Leaphorn. Wolf is revealed to have well-connected benefactors as he unleashes a domestic terrorist rampage on the reservation, including bombing the local hospital. Actor Nicholas Logan has appeared in the comedy noir series Hap and Leonard as well as the acclaimed drama miniseries Dopesick.

John Diehl as B.J. Vines

A local business magnate with deep ties to the reservation, B.J. Vines is the aloof husband of Rosemary and has countless secrets, some of them quite sinister. In particular, B.J. holds a dark history with the Leaphorn family that makes his role in the second season particularly personal. Actor John Diehl’s biggest early role was as a recurring character in the highly influential ‘80s series Miami Vice before appearing in dozens of television and film projects, including Jurassic Park III and Stargate.

Jeri Ryan as Rosemary Vines

Chee becomes involved in Season 2’s mystery in a unique way when he’s approached by local socialite Rosemary Vines, who tasks him with recovering a box stolen from her by her estranged husband B.J. Rosemary is played by Jeri Ryan, best known for her iconic sci-fi role as Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard. Ryan has also memorably appeared in the drama series Boston Public and Bosch.

Jacqueline Byers as Mary Landon

Mary Landon is an outside journalist who comes determined to investigate hospital conditions and medical treatment of women on the reservation. This places her at odds with Emma as Mary uncovers painful truths about how indigenous women endure inhumane procedures under government orders. Outside of Dark Winds, actor Jacqueline Byers’ biggest role to date was playing the lead in the 2022 horror movie Prey for the Devil.

Full Cast List of Dark Winds Season 2

Retaining much of its main cast from the first season, Dark Winds Season 2 goes deeper with its core cast as they face a much more explosive threat than they had in the first season. What Leaphorn and his deputies uncover is a full conspiracy that threatens the safety of everyone on the reservation while other interesting figures enter the story. Here is a full cast list for Dark Winds Season 2.

• Joe Leaphorn played by Zahn McClarnon
• Jim Chee played by Kiowa Gordon
• Bernadette Manuelito played by Jessica Matten
• Emma Leaphorn played by Deanna Allison
• Sally Growing Thunder played by Elva Guerra
• Colton Wolf played by Nicholas Logan
• Natalie Bluehouse played by Natalie Benally
• Helen Atcitty played by Dezbaa’
• Guy Atcitty played by Ryan Begay
• B.J. Vines played by John Diehl
• Rosemary Vines played by Jeri Ryan
• Gordo Sena played by A Martinez
• Mary Landon played by Jacqueline Byers

And that’s all major actors and cast for Dark Winds Season 2.

The first two seasons of Dark Winds are currently available to stream on AMC+.