1923 star addresses the impact of Cole Brings Plenty’s loss, which included a recasting and an episode tribute. Brings Plenty portrayed Pete Plenty Clouds in the hit series 1923, the second spinoff to Paramount Network’s Yellowstone. Sadly, he tragically passed away at 27 years old in April 2024. With the Yellowstone prequel returning on Paramount+, the episode opened with a tribute to the late actor. His character was not written out of the show, with Jeremy Gauna taking over the role.
In an interview with TV Insider, Aminah Nieves (Teonna Rainwater) addressed how the show handled Brings Plenty’s passing. While she acknowledged that the show could easily have written out Pete, she endorsed the decision to recast him. She even believed that Gauna was the perfect person to take over the role. Had the show not recast Pete, she would have been forced to carry “a lot of hate and a lot of pain.” Check out her quote below:
[Recasting is] the best thing we could’ve done. I could have easily gone into this with a lot of resentment and with a lot of hate and a lot of pain. And it’s not to say that I didn’t at first, but there comes a moment where you have to really think about the person that Coco was. And he’s my brother. We talked every day about this. He lives on and with us every day. He was so excited and so happy to be a part of something of this magnitude. I could have sat there and been sad, or I could have sat there and honored him in the best way and uplifted Jeremy Gauna too for coming here and holding all of that weight, which it’s an extreme weight to hold and to come in and take over for Coco. And he did it with such grace.
I think everyone felt like, in those moments when we were there and Pete was there, Coco was also resting his hands on us and was like, it’s OK. Please, you guys got this. He really allowed us to dip in some much-needed joy and moments when it felt like almost like, why? It was a lot. It was a lot. But I love my brother, and I think we all did as best as we could. And I know Jeremy did the best that he ever could, and it’s going to be great.
Cole Brings Plenty Is Deeply Missed On Set
Plenty Remains A Beloved Cast Member
Brings Plenty’s passing is an immense tragedy, and the cause of death is still unknown. He was reported missing in March 2024, after his partner contacted police about a domestic dispute. He had already passed when they found his body a week later. Police reported that there were no signs of foul play, and his autopsy records remain sealed. Brings Plenty’s family argued that there is more to learn about the case, but nothing else has been released.
Guana was reportedly close friends with Brings Plenty.
For the 1923 cast, the official cause of death is not nearly as important as the loss itself. The season 2 premiere was dedicated to Brings Plenty, serving as a constant reminder of his importance to the show. Since season 2 didn’t start filming until the summer of 2024, it would have either required recasting the role or writing the character off. It’s now clear that the character was recast, with Guana now inheriting the role for the final episodes. Per Town & Country, Guana was reportedly close friends with Brings Plenty.
Our Take On Cole Brings Plenty’s Legacy
There Is No One Approach For Acknowledging An Actor’s Death
Whenever an actor in an ongoing production dies, the producers are left with a difficult question. The Marvel Cinematic Universe elected to avoid recasting Chadwick Boseman after his tragic passing, which led to widespread criticism. 1923 has taken a different route, honoring Brings Plenty by maintaining his character’s presence in the show. Both approaches have their merits, but the family, cast, and crew should be trusted to make the most appropriate decision. If they believed that recasting Pete honors Cole Brings Plenty’s memory, then it was the correct move.
Source: TV Insider
1923
9/10
- Release Date
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2022 – 2024
- Network
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Paramount+
- Showrunner
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Taylor Sheridan
- Directors
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Guy Ferland
- Writers
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Taylor Sheridan