Where you’ve seen the reservation dogs actor before

Elva Guerra is a young native American actor who has made a name for himself in a big way in the 2010s and 2020s. Born in Oklahoma in 2004, native American actor Elva Guerra has already become a memorable part of the television landscape. Guerra is two-spirit, a term in the indigenous community that describes someone who considers himself to have both a male and female spirit (via The direct). As a two-spirited person, Guerra uses the pronouns they/themAnd it ties back to them identifying as non-binary.

Guerra went to school in McAlester, Oklahoma, and as the only native child in the school, was often mistaken for Asian (via) NativeHustle). However, Guerra noted that in recent years, they have been recognized as Native Americans. Guerra started their career in 2020 (by Casting networks). Although they had never acted before, Guerra went to an open acting call for Reservation dogs. They thought they were auditioning for a background character but ended up as Jackie, and that one audition completely altered their lives.

Elva Guerra appeared in Dark Winds and Rutherford Falls

Guerra often plays characters more mature than their age

Although most viewers recognize Elva Guerra for her role in Reservation dogs, Guerra quickly accumulated a growing number of notable performances. In 2021, Guerra appeared in an episode of Rutherford Falls As young Charlotte Thomas, and then in 2022, she had a leading role in the short film You and me this summer Like Reagan. Their biggest performance, sans Reservation dogscame when they were thrown in Dark winds Like Sally Growing Thunder. Sally is a pregnant Navajo teenager who is taken in by the Leaphorn family.

Whether their character is only for a brief moment, as in Rutherford FallsIs a young woman about to leave her hometown, or is a Native American looking for some kind of sanctuary, Each of Guerra’s characters is wise beyond their years. In general, their characters have the difficulties that come with growing up combined with the issues that life in poverty can germinate. Guerra brings an almost world-weariness to the part and makes it clear that despite what the character might say, there is much more roiling behind their eyes.

Guerra is most famous for playing Jackie on Reservation Dogs

Jackie goes from an enemy to a friend of the Rez Dogs

Elva Guerra is, of course, most famous for her portrayal of Jackie in the cast of Reservation dogs. The award-winning FX series follows a group of four Native American teenagers living on a reservation in Oklahoma who commit petty crimes to try and earn enough money to leave their town behind. Guerra plays Jackie, the leader of the NDN Mafia, a group of four high school toughs who are constantly at odds with the Rez Dogs. Jackie is originally from the city and has a particular dislike for the rural and lonely reservation.

Although Jackie is not one of the “giant dogs”, she travels with her rival, Elora (Devery Jacobs), to California. On the way, the two grow close and Jackie becomes a friend to the Rez Dogs in later episodes of Reservation Dogs. Guerra plays the role of a bored bully excellently. She doesn’t hate the rez dogs in particular, she just hates living on the reservation, and fighting Elora and her friends is better than nothing. It’s a performance that keeps getting deeper as the show goes on and signals Elva Guerra Has the chops for a long future in Hollywood.