[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Dark Winds Season 3 Episode 1, “Ye’iitsoh.”]
Darkish Winds is again, and whereas Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) is tackling a brand new thriller with the assistance of detective Jim Chee (Kiowa Gordon), Season 3’s premiere makes method for one in all TV’s most epic double cameo as govt producers Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin pop in to play a few jailbirds.
After beginning an investigation into blood stains and a lacking boy within the desert, Leaphorn and Chee return to the station the place the Lieutenant checks in on the Navajo jail’s prisoners who occur to be in the course of a recreation of chess. Observing their performs, Leaphorn watches as Redford tells Martin, “George, the entire world’s ready. Make a transfer!”
Leaphorn chimes in with a transfer for George to take, giving him the sting towards his competitor. “Thanks so much,” Redford says, turning to Leaphorn, who walks away with a smile.
Michael Loccisano / Getty Photographs; Jon Kopaloff / Getty Photographs
It was an enormous second for McClarnon, who tells TV Insider, “[It was a] very thrilling day for me. A dream come true. Working with two legends. I grew up with Robert Redford and his movies. He was one in all my idols rising up within the ’70s, there was a film, Little Fauss and Massive Halsey that was an enormous inspiration to me at six years previous,” he shares fondly.
“Robert performs a bike racer and he has his toothbrush in his mouth the entire film. And I walked round with a toothbrush in my mouth at six years previous till my dad and mom lastly took it out. I used to be so impressed by who that character was… So I by no means thought in my life I’d be doing a scene with Robert Redford,” McClarnon provides. He additionally heaps reward on Martin, whom he calls, “among the best fantasy science fiction writers of our era.”
“They’re each heat individuals, and I’m at all times in awe and should pinch myself after I’m of their firm,” McClarnon notes.
His costar Gordon confirms McClarnon’s pleasure on the day of filming, sharing, “As quickly because the digicam would minimize, you’d see Zahn simply placed on this large cheesiest grin and he simply appeared like slightly child… He’s dwelling the dream for all of us. And it was simply so cool to look at him watch his hero and be in the identical shot with him.”
“It’s nice to have legends in your present and slightly nod to them,” Gordon provides, sharing, “It’s actually cool of them to make it occur as a result of George hates cameos, however he did it for us. He loves the present, and I feel that goes a good distance.”
As for Redford’s line, which is most actually a joke about Martin’s Sport of Thrones e book writing schedule, showrunner John Wirth tells us, “These phrases got here out of Mr. Redford’s mouth, and he’s the writer of these phrases. So I assume I simply threw him below the bus, which I didn’t imply to do.” Wirth provides with fun, “I discovered it very amusing, and I feel George did, too.”
The cameos have been years within the making as Wirth notes they’ve been attempting to determine a scene or second that would work for the chief producers to participate in. In the end, the thought for jail prisoners got here from Martin. “George got here to me at some point and stated, ‘I understand how we do that. Bob and I are going to be within the jail cell enjoying chess,’” Wirth remembers.
And whereas he admits he doesn’t understand how these two characters ended up within the jail cell with a chessboard, Wirth says, “It form of made sense.”
“I imply, the entire thing might be lower than 90 seconds, after which we’re proper again into the Darkish Winds story,” he continues. “So I assumed it was pleasant. It was actually a pleasure to see these two gents on stage and to listen to them speaking and appearing in our collection. It’s very significant.”
And that’s only one spotlight followers are positive to take pleasure in as the most recent season of Darkish Winds unfolds, so keep tuned for extra pleasure and tell us what you considered the shock cameos within the feedback part, beneath.
Darkish Winds, Season 3, Sundays, 9/8c, AMC and AMC+