1923 was dealt a huge blow when Season 1 cast member Cole Brings Plenty passed away in 2024. He played Pete Plenty Clouds in the Yellowstone origin story series, and the character was set to return in Season 2. Following Brings Plenty’s death, the role was recast, with Jeremy Gauna taking over. In the Sunday, March 30 episode of 1923, several characters, including Pete Plenty Clouds, were killed off. Gauna admitted to The Hollywood Reporter that filming Pete’s death brought up complicated feelings given Brings Plenty’s untimely death. “It was very difficult, especially with everything that happened in real life to Cole,” he said in an interview. “Cole had so much expectations with the character. He had so much joy knowing that he was getting to be a part of six episodes, and that was taken away from him abruptly,” he continued, reflecting on how Cole’s death robbed the young actor of his potential. Gauna discussed how playing that final death scene reminded him of Cole, saying:

“That was extremely hard for coming in, and it still has a lot of weight on my shoulders because obviously it’s bigger than anything I could ever fathom, and then reading the script and seeing what happens in the show when knowing what happened in real life, and I’m sure Michael [Spears] can attest to this, but even on set that day when they [Father Renaud and Marshall Kent] roll up on me, all the emotions — the tears, the sounds, the gasping, the breathing — everything you hear is 100 percent real. Because at that moment, and I assume Michael felt this way, but I can attest that Aminah [Nieves] felt this way, she saw Cole laying there.

Playing Pete In ‘1923’ Season 2 Was Hard for Jeremy Gauna After Cole Brings Plenty’s Death

It’s never fun for any actor to take over a certain character because the previous portrayer died. “Having that conversation with Taylor [Sheridan] at the beginning was very bittersweet,” said Gauna about his conversations with the series creator after he was recast in the role. “I want to celebrate this opportunity, but I also want to grieve for my friend,” he added. As Pete and several other characters depart 1923’s world, others continue to fight for survival. The Season 2 finale is set to debut next Sunday and will be close to two hours long. Read the official logline for 1923 Season 2, Episode 7, “A Dream and a Memory,” below.

“Jacob (Harrison Ford) and his crew eagerly await Spencer’s (Brandon Sklenar) return at the train station. Teonna (Aminah Nieves) has a fateful run-in. Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) braves the cold.”