Wake-Up Call: ‘Reservation Dogs’ Star D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai On The Show Finally Getting Its Due: “It Was Something That People Have Never Seen Before”

Before FX gave us The Bear , it first introduced us to Bear Smallhill, the unofficial leader of a quartet of Native misfits at the heart of FX’s Reservation Dogs . Exuding equal parts warmth and extreme mischievousness, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is the only actor from the comedy’s three-year run to earn an Emmy nomination — an honor the 21-year-old Oji-Cree First Nations actor isn’t taking for granted. Here, Woon-A-Tai talks about working on the Sterlin Harjo comedy that’s competing for the first time in the Best Comedy category, and how he hopes this won’t be the last time he works on a series that offers a fresh view of Native American Life.

DEADLINE: So where were you when you found out that you had been nominated for the Emmy? D’PHARAOH WOON-A-TAI : I just got back to LA from visiting friends and family in Oklahoma. I woke up to a notification from my friend Michael, who was like, “Congratulations, next time I’m in LA we have to celebrate.” I had no Idea what he was talking about.

I was very confused. He was like, “Man, your Emmy nomination!” It was the best news to wake up to. Actually, that’s how I first found out that I was cast in Reservation Dogs .

DEADLINE: Wait, what? WOON-A-TAI : My mom woke me up from a deep sleep to tell me I got the job. I was like, “Oh, cool.” And I just fell back asleep.

So, my idea is just to sleep and hopefully wake up to good news every single time. DEADLINE: How much did you and the other Rez Dogs cast members t.