Long before he was Tribal Police Deputy Jim Chee in the AMC hit series Dark Winds, Kiowa Gordan ran with another force of nature: the Uley wolf pack from the Twilight franchise.
The German-born actor played Embry Call, a shapeshifter in Jacob Black's (Taylor Lautner) werewolf brotherhood who went toe-to-toe with vampires and other supernatural threats in Forks, Washington. While it's been a long time since he's worn fur and howled at the moon, Gordon is still battling the bad guy as Jim Chee in Dark Winds.
Based on Tony Hillerman's mystery novels, the series follows Jim Chee, a younger member of the Navajo Tribal Police and undercover FBI agent who works with his partner Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn (played by Zahn McClarnon), to uncover a double homicide that may be tied to an elaborate network of crime and corruption. Set in 1970s Navajo Nation, the crime drama has been praised for its authentic portrayal of Native American culture and the Southwest. For Gordon, who is of Hualapai heritage, Chee's story was easy to relate to.
"I felt really deeply connected to Chee because I grew up on my reservation and then moved away when I was young," he told AMC in 2022. "Then when I went back to the res, it was like they didn't even know me anymore—you just don't feel like you fit in anywhere in the world anymore...It's a lot to deal with mentally."
So, who is the actor behind this complex character? Here's everything you need to know about Kiowa Gordon.
Germany Born, Hualapai Raised
Although he was born in Germany, Gordon grew up in the Arizona area. His family reportedly moved around a lot—including a short stint on the Hualapai Indian Reservation in Peach Springs—before settling in Phoenix. As the second youngest of seven kids, he comes from a huge family, a few of which are also in the acting business. His mother, Camille Nighthorse Gordon, has appeared in movies like More Than Frybread and Shadow Wolves.
Despite getting a 'C' in his high school acting class, Gordon decided to try out for the second Twilight movie New Moon right before graduation. And it helped that he kinda had an in—Twilight series author Stephaine Meyers was his Sunday School teacher.
"When she told me they were casting for the movie, I jumped at the opportunity," he said in a 2009 interview. "I feel very fortunate to be part of the Twilight universe."
Embry Call Era
He may not have played Embry Call in the original Twilight movie (that credit goes to Kristopher Hyatt), but Gordon quickly became the face of the character, appearing in New Moon, Eclipse, and both Breaking Dawn films. His portrayal of the lanky and shy right-hand man to Jacob Black pushed him into a level of stardom that most actors and actresses can only dream of.
"The director actually told us that this would kind of change our lives," Gordon said in an interview about being the newest additions to the franchise's wolfpack. "And the other actors kind of gave a heads-up that the fans would be pretty passionate and not stop loving us."
But beyond the screaming fans and red carpets, the actor is grateful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that led him straight to his passion. "I knew the moment I said my first line that this is what I live for," he told DA MAN Magazine in 2012. "This is who I am."
Since the franchise wrapped, Gordon has appeared in a number of shorts, series, and films like The Red Road, Blood Quantum, Reservation Dogs, and Roswell, New Mexico.
Touché
Acting isn't the only creative talent Gordon possesses. He's also a vocalist who used to be the lead singer for a progressive metal band called Touchè. After a long hiatus to focus on his acting career, he released new music in 2018 under the alias Nature Baby. Right now, you can only find one song—"Taking Back My Summer"—on Spotify.
"I was in a cave with some friends on a mountain and we were running around and jumping on boulders," he told ICT News when asked how he came up with the name. "I took a giant leap and almost missed the ledge of a cliff, and I said, "No one else should do that, or you'll die!" But that didn't stop them. Since then, they started calling me Nature Baby, and they were the creatures, 'cause I'm really into nature. So the moniker stuck."
It looks like Gordon's love for making music is on hold once again, but maybe he'll surprise us with something new in the future.
Will There be a Season 2 for Dark Winds?
Yes—the second season of AMC's Dark Winds will premiere on Sunday, July 30th. Until then, you can get yourself pumped for the new season by watching the trailer or binging the first on AMC+.
