D’PHARAOH WOON-A-TAI IS FOLLOWING HIS DREAMS. AFTER AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL RUN AS BEAR IN THE GROUNDBREAKING RESERVATION DOGS, FOR WHICH HE JUST RECEIVED HIS FIRST EMMY NOMINATION, THE YOUNG ACTOR MAKES IT CLEAR THAT HIS PERFORMANCE WASN’T FUELLED BY A DESIRE TO WIN AWARDS, BUT BY THE RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE. HE VIEWS THAT RESPONSIBILITY NOT AS EXTERNAL PRESSURE BUT AS A SOURCE OF UNMITIGATED JOY—HE’S EXCITED TO BE PART OF HOLLYWOOD’S LONG-AWAITED CHANGE. WITH A STARRING ROLE IN THE UPCOMING A24 FILM WARFARE, IT’S CLEAR WOON-A-TAI IS ENJOYING THE MOMENTUM OF HIS CONTINUED SUCCESS. WE CAUGHT UP WITH THE YOUNG ACTOR TO DISCUSS THE POWER OF ACCURATE REPRESENTATION, WHY ACTING IS THE COOLEST JOB IN THE WORLD, AND OUR DIVERGING OPINIONS ON HIS NEW HAIRCUT.

Left and right Full looks **Emporio Armani**

How are you? How’s LA?

Yeah, it’s all good man. Everything is lovely.

I was reading about you, and it struck me that you started quite young. Where did the acting instinct come in?

Yeah, I started when I was 15. I was attending a native community centre in downtown Toronto called Council Fire. I usually went there to practice drumming and singing. They had a bulletin board ad that was looking for Indigenous youth for a project… I don’t even remember what project it was; it was a long time ago. I was with my mother, and she said, “You know you’re not doing anything with your life, you should try it.” [Laughs] And then I fell in love with it.

Left Full look **Emporio Armani**
Right Full look **Prada**

[Laughs] Damn, that’s the age to not do anything… I mean, I’m glad she pushed you in that direction.

Exactly. I mean at first, I was so nervous. It can be embarrassing. Acting is sometimes so embarrassing.

It’s interesting you mention that. I was listening to someone talking about how you need to break free of the fear of cringe to be successful in the entertainment industry…

Every single time I go on set I feel the same way I did the first time I went to set. There’s a sense of nervousness that never disappears. I feel that what separates actors apart from each other is how they push past that fear. Some let that stop them from continuing this path.

Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**

I really want to touch on Reservation Dogs. That to me has been one of the most special projects out in the last few years. How did you initially get signed on to it?

[Laughs] I wish I had a cool story. I just auditioned. I had two four pages, two pages for each scene. I just fell in love with Bear. It was strange actually. That was my first time reading a script and immediately feeling connected to the character. I found out about the project in late 2019 and I got to fly to California… That was my first time coming here. They had all of us for the last round of auditions in a big room together. I had been used to a small sense of competition in acting, the more Western approach to the craft - the “Oh, these guys are my competitors, don’t talk to anyone.” But that’s not what that experience was at all. I would be happy if any other of these Native kids got the role. That was my first time feeling anything like that.

As you said, you immediately connected to Bear, what did it feel like to have to say goodbye to the character?

dw: It’s definitely bittersweet. I remember the exact day they told us the show would be ending. It felt like we were all in an amusement park having the best time of our lives and, just as we were about to go down the rollercoaster our father told us, “We have to go.” And so, we were all so excited to go down the rollercoaster, but we also knew it was the last time riding the ride.

Left Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**
Right Full look **Loewe**

I always think a project should have a graceful end rather than stretching it out, it always feels like a much more painful death…

dw: Yeah, and the ending was beautiful, with everyone helping each other out and putting their differences aside. When I hopped on the project, it was supposed to be a limited series. It was COVID when we began, so the fact that we even got to shoot two more seasons after that just makes me so grateful. I knew it was supposed to come to an end, I know the writers behind this, it wasn’t a cash grab.

Left Full look **Loewe**
Right Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**

Bear’s parting gift to you was quite nice though, you got your first Emmy nomination for the last season. How do you feel about those kinds of accolades?

I don’t want to be like oh, “I don’t give a shit,” but I usually don’t take them too personally. But for Reservation Dogs, it’s very important to me. I never expected it to get picked up from the pilot. I knew it would be very important across Turtle Island, the native community across North and South America. I knew Native people would be able to hold on to this. It was the first time in Hollywood’s history that we’ve had a full Native writer’s room, directors, and main cast. That was long overdue. I didn’t know how well the masses would respond to it, which is pretty stupid honestly. In telling our story truthfully, we’re telling a human story, and everyone can relate to that. So, when it comes to any award, including the Emmys, I’m grateful. But I want to acknowledge that the opinion I most cared about was the Muscogee Creek community, the people I was representing. I wanted to make them proud - that was my goal rather than, “I need to get awards.”

Left Full look **Prada**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

It’s clear that you make constant efforts to highlight the Indigenous community in whatever you do. How do you go about picking the projects you’ll be involved in?

That’s a good question. Well, when it comes to projects in general, I aim to tell important stories that are not commonly heard. That was why I loved working on Reservation Dogs, we always brought out important issues that left non-Indigenous people with the knowledge of our lives. I pick projects that have meaning behind them. When it comes to Indigenous storytelling, and that’s something Reservation Dogs taught me, we can create our own stories and be successful. Anytime that I’m now moving forward on an Indigenous lead project, I feel like it’s mandatory to have a Native writer’s room, directors, and cast.

Left Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**
Right Full look **Emporio Armani**

I feel like Reservation Dogs changed the game in that way…

Yeah but, I mean, if we want to give credit it has to be where it’s due. These executives didn’t just think that the audience would love listening to our stories from thin air. The African-American community in the film industry led the way. They had success in telling their truth, so they wiggled in a chance for us.

You’re playing Ray Mendoza in the upcoming A24 movie Warfare. Does it feel any different playing a real person versus a fictional character?

I honestly saw Bear as a real person. I understand what you’re asking, and since Ray was behind the camera, there was an added element there, especially when he would give me notes after every take. [Laughs] But it’s not too far off from what Bear felt like. I’m half Native American, half Guyanese, Oklahoma is thousands of miles away. There are hundreds of different types of Native American tribes in North America alone, each with their culture, religion and customs. For me to play someone that’s not Anishinaabe, it’s a lot of pressure. I was telling the personal story of thousands of kids. I was telling the writers’ stories that, on our behalf, were telling the stories of so many others. I felt the same pressure working on both projects. But Ray is a crazy guy, he’s funny. I had to cut my hair off for that. I know I can rock short hair, but I prefer it long…

Left Full look **Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello**
Right Full look **Dior Men**

I think it suits you. How do you feel about having to undergo physical changes for your job?

I fucking love it. This is the coolest job in the world. I don’t know of any other industries that you can go off and find a hobby and it can contribute to your career. That’s what’s beautiful about being an actor. When I started out, I craved being tired from it, I wanted the biggest experiences and the biggest struggles. I want to feel like I deserve to relax. I’ve chased that high since my first job. I would never replace it for anything.