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Playing the role of Mo, Moses Brings Plenty is now a series regular on Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone. He’s Thomas Rainwater’s (Gil Birmingham) right-hand man, fixer and friend.
Mo comes with two signature braids, which he also rocks in real life. Although he doesn’t talk much, there’s more to him than meets the eye.
He exudes confidence, wisdom and strength of character, which could explain why Rainwater keeps him close as he tries to beat the seemingly indomitable John Dutton (Kevin Costner).
Moses Brings Plenty is an Oglala Lakota actor born in Porcupine, South Dakota, on September 4, 1969. He’s a direct descendent of the famous warrior Brings Plenty, who fought for the natives in The Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876.
| Born: | September 4, 1969 |
| Nationality: | American |
| Height: | 6 ft 2 (1.73 m) |
| Wife: | Sara Ann Haney-Brings Plenty |
| Social media: | Instagram, Twitter |
Mo embarked on his acting journey in the early 2000s. He might not have played roles in hundreds of movies and TV shows, but he’s changing the narrative for native film enthusiasts in Hollywood.
Many of the cast are inspired by his devotion to teaching the world about indigenous people.
Moses Brings Plenty Notable Movies and Series
- Hildago (2004) as Ghost Drummer
- The Wild West (2007) as Crazyhorse
- Deadliest Warrior (2010) as Comanche Hero
- Cowboys & Aliens 2011) as Apache Warrior 2
- Hell on Wheels (2011) as White Feather
- House of Cards (2014) as Chief Whitehall
- The American West (2016) as Sitting Bull
- The Men Who Built America: Frontiersmen (2018) as Blackfish
- The Glorious (2020) as Charlie Soap
- The Good Lord Bird (2020) as Ottawa Jones
- Wildfire: The Legend of the Cherokee Ghost Horse (2022) as Udeli Soquili
- The Contested Plains (2022) as Stone Calf
- Jurassic World: Dominion (2022) as Shep Wauneka
- Yellowstone (2022) as Thomas Rainwater’s driver/Mo/Mo Brings Plenty
9 Facts about Moses Brings Plenty
He Grew Up on Several Reservations
Brings Plenty was born on the Oglala Sioux’s Pine Ridge Agency, popularly known as the Pine Ridge Reservation, where he spent a large part of his childhood.
He also lived on a few other Lakota/Indian reservations, such as the Cheyenne River and Rosebud reservations.
Brings Plenty led a simple life as a reservation child–he lived with his folks and friends without running water and electricity. Then, society didn’t think they would amount to much as Indians, which motivated him to work hard and make something of himself.
He Never Liked School
Like most kids his age, Brings Plenty sought a formal education in the 70s. He was “forced” to attend schools on the reservations he lived on and loathed every second he spent there, as he told republic-online.com several years ago.
“I was forced to attend a Catholic school on the reservation. It is now known as the Red Cloud Indian School. I did not like it there.” Brings Plenty said.
After eighth grade, he threw in the towel because of society’s perception of Indians at the time.
“It wasn’t teaching me anything,” Brings Plenty told republic-online.com. “All it did was make me ashamed of who I am because that is how society made us feel,” He added.
He’s a Talented Drummer
Besides being an actor, Brings Plenty is also a drummer. He was a part of Brulé & AIRO, a South Dakota-based Native American music group that has won several accolades and sold 1M+ CDs globally.
In addition, he is a drummer for the Nebraska-based Many Moccasins Dance Troupe, which combines various types of Native American dancing to entertain its fans, including powwow.
Brings Plenty also uses his drumming skills to help raise money for charity ventures. For instance, he once performed at Project Lighthouse, whose main objective was to avail bedding and clothes to Indian reservations.
He Almost Gave Up on Acting Before Yellowstone
The popular phrase “the darkest hour is just before dawn” best applies to Brings Plenty’s situation before he joined Yellowstone.
He recently told the New York Times that he was about to pack his bags and head back to his Kansas ranch when he landed the role of Mo in Sheridan’s Yellowstone.
Initially, Brings Plenty ventured into acting because he yearned to transform the Native American representation on TV. But he didn’t achieve the change he hoped for after working as a stunt horse rider and portraying a few roles in theatre and several movies.
Fortunately, that was around the same time Sheridan knocked on his door.
The American filmmaker told the New York Times in an email that he was fascinated by Brings Plenty’s honesty as an actor, explaining why he’s now a series regular, despite starting out as Rainwater’s nameless driver.
“There is a real honesty to Mo’s acting — a comfortable vulnerability,” Sheridan divulged.
“One of the great things about long-form storytelling is that it allows me to react to actors who really shine. Mo began as a co-star on the show, and now he is a series regular. That is how much his portrayal leapt from the screen.”
Also read: Yellowstone Prequel and Spin-Off Shows Explained
Gil Birmingham Helped Create His Character’s Name on Yellowstone
Here’s an interesting tale of how Brings Plenty’s Mo got his name on Yellowstone.
So, when Taylor Sheridan requested the actor to play a role on the TV show, he didn’t give him a name–he’d simply be Rainwater’s driver.
But in one of the scenes, Rainwater (Birmingham) forgot that his driver didn’t have a name and referred to him as “Mo”, which also happens to be his nickname (short for “Moses”) in real life.
Birmingham told the New York Times that Sheridan didn’t make a fuss. Instead, he decided to use the name for Brings Plenty’s Yellowstone character, which makes it funny because most fans find it confusing.
“So Taylor decided that he was going to use that name for the character as well. When Mo is out and about, it’s pretty funny because people tend to call you by your character name, and it happens to be his real name. There’s no distinction there for fans.” the Under the Banner of Heaven star said.
Also read: Who Plays Thomas Rainwater in Yellowstone? Meet Gil Birmingham
His Wife Is an Actress
Brings Plenty’s wife, Sara Ann Haney-Brings Plenty, is also enthusiastic about acting, though she’s yet to immerse herself in the film industry.
So far, she’s only appeared in three episodes of Paramount Network’s Yellowstone, playing the role of Brings Plenty’s wife in the hit neo-Western drama series. Their son in real life, Jerynce, also appears in the show.
He Aspires to Be the President
Earlier this year, Brings Plenty had a chat with Chris James, the CEO/President of the National Center for American Enterprise Development, to discuss various aspects of his life, including his upbringing and dreams.
According to Native News Online, Brings Plenty told James he doesn’t just want to deliver a better representation of natives on TV (Yellowstone); he also wants to join the long list of US presidents.
“Yellowstone’s going to be kind of hard, tough to top. But in the end, I do have an idea, and my idea has been a dream for a while. I think when the time is right, maybe I’ll start pursuing it and make it a reality. And that is to be the next President of the United States.” Brings Plenty said.
The actor even joked about riding on horseback during his campaigns to win the people’s hearts.
“Okay, I got a few good horses. I’ll campaign riding on horseback across the country.” The former House of Cards actor added.
Also read: What Cowboy Hats the Yellowstone Characters Wear
He’s a Passionate Rancher
Brings Plenty is a real-life rancher and cowboy like his character on Yellowstone. He owns a ranch in Kansas and enjoys caring for cattle alongside his wife and son.
More often than not, Brings Plenty shares pictures of his farm and animals on Instagram.
He’s Religious
Brings Plenty has been open about his strong belief in God and being a Christian. In an interview with republic-online.com, the Yellowstone actor said God helped him overcome his struggles with self-discovery and society’s biased opinions about indigenous people.
“I believe in the perfection of God,” Brings Plenty disclosed. He also added, “That helped me overcome my racism and my fears. God didn’t mess up when he created any people. God likes variety.”
Also read: Who is Q’orianka Kilcher? Angela Blue Thunder on Yellowstone
FAQs about Moses Brings Plenty
Is “Moses Brings Plenty” Brings Plenty’s real name?
Brings Plenty’s English name is “Moses Brings Plenty”, which he uses instead of his Lakota name “Ta Sunke O’yuspa Un”.
Was Moses Brings Plenty’s family featured on Yellowstone?
Brings Plenty’s real wife, Sara Ann Haney-Brings Plenty, and teenage son appeared in the third episode of Yellowstone season 4
