Yellowstone actor and Native American activist Mo Brings Plenty brings a plethora of real-life mixed experience to his roles. A man of many talents and interests, Mo has made it clear in many interviews over the years that he has a singular goal, which is to uplift the Native American community in every way possible.
One such way he uplifted the community for many years before earning fame as an actor was by performing in a Native American rock band. The band, called Brulé, describes itself as a contemporary Native American new-age/worldbeat music group based in South Dakota. They have sold over one million CDs worldwide, won a number of awards, and have made media appearances on major television shows.
Sitting as the group’s drummer, Mo said he used to spend many months on tour with the group before settling on acting as his primary focus.
“I was a percussionist for a Native contemporary group called Brulé,” he said on a podcast called Cowboys & Indians. “We did a lot of traveling. It was over 100 performances per year. We traveled throughout the Dakotas, Minnesota, and down into the Southwest. It was year round, and so I did that consistently for a number of years.”
Mo also said the schedule made it hard to focus on acting, but that the band ultimately supported his decision.
“I couldn’t leave when we were performing so much, but the acting start started to take shape then, too,” Mo explained. “To do the acting stuff I had to talk to Paul, who founded the group. And actually he was totally understanding, and so I went off and pursued an acting career again.”
Mo Brings Plenty thinks that the Yellowstone audience would know if his heart wasn’t all the way in the role
Mo finished by saying the decision came about because he likes to give his creative passions all of his energy; otherwise, the audience can feel the lackluster performance.
“I love music, don’t get me wrong,” he said. “But if I can’t put myself 100 percent into something, then I don’t want to do it, because the audience won’t experience it either. And that’s what was happening with my music dreams at the time.”
When asked about his success and how he continues navigating the brutal entertainment industry, Mo credited his unbeatable work ethic.
“It’s simple. For me, what it boils down to is work ethic,” he said in a separate interview. “Representation is everything. The industry seems large, but everyone’s connected, and if your work ethic [is] not that great then people will talk about it.
“So I make it a point to be on time, if not early. I give it 110% regardless. I mean even coming here. This is something huge for our people, what you all do; and I appreciate it, and I’m honored and humbled that you all invited me here to see all these beautiful faces.”
