Moses J. Brings Plenty (born September 4, 1969) is an Oglala Lakota television, film, and stage actor, as well as a traditional drummer and singer. He is best known for his portrayal as Mo in the Paramount Network series Yellowstone.[1]
His nephew Cole Brings Plenty portrayed Pete Plenty Clouds in two episodes of 1923.[4][5] Cole was found dead on April 5, 2024, at the age of 27, after having been reported missing five days prior.[6]
Acting career
As an actor, Brings Plenty has played bit parts in Hidalgo, Thunderheart, and Pirates of the Caribbean.[7] He also played Quanah Parker in the History Channel documentary Comanche Warrior, which was filmed on the Wild Horse Sanctuary in the southern Black Hills; Crazy Horse on History Channel's Investigating History documentary "Who Killed Crazy Horse"; and the BBC documentary series The Wild West. He acted in Rez Bomb, considered to be the first movie with a universal storyline set on a reservation. Rez Bomb has been part of the international film festival circuit instead of playing strictly to Native American film festivals, which is a major breakthrough for Native cinema.[8]
Brings Plenty plays Mo in the Paramount series Yellowstone. His role has grown through each season, finally becoming a series regular in season five. He is also the show's Native affairs coordinator, working with tribes to ensure that the Native languages and cultures are represented correctly.[10]
Brings Plenty played drums for the band Brulé, who combines traditional Native American drums and flute with contemporary musical instruments.[13] He performs with and drums for the Many Moccasins Dance Troupe,[14] based in Winnebago, Nebraska, that combines modern Native American dance with powwow dances.[7]
Brings Plenty has modeled for Ed Hardy and John Yaeger.[7]
Activism
Brings Plenty is concerned about providing accurate representations of Native peoples in mass media. He stated in a 2008 interview, "Young people told me they don’t see our people on TV. Then it hit me, they are right. Where are our indigenous people, people who are proud of who they are?"[1] Brings Plenty also works behind the scenes on Yellowstone and its spin-off prequels 1883 and 1923 as Taylor Sheridan's American Indian Affairs Coordinator to make sure that each show appropriately represents Native culture.[15][16]
He has performed for charity events such as Project Lighthouse, who provides warm clothing and bedding to northern Indian reservations.[17]