‘Reservation Dogs’: Paulina Alexis on Working Opposite Lily Gladstone & Saying Goodbye to Willie Jack

Reservation Dogs brought some serious laughs and large tears over the course of its three seasons, and one of the performers responsible for such powerful reactions was Paulina Alexis, who portrayed Willie Jack, the vocal member of the titular gang in FX’s original Hulu show.

Reservation Dogs shed light on the impact of youth suicide in Indigenous communities, providing insightful stories and a rich look into reservation life through Willie Jack and her friends, Elora (Devery Jacobs), Bear (D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), and Cheese (Lane Factor), who did their best to honor late friend and family member Daniel (Dalton Cramer) while also navigating the world. In the show’s third and final season, Willie Jack follows a calling to become a medicine woman, seeking guidance from elder Fixico (Richard Ray Whitman) as she works toward becoming a pillar in her Oklahoma community.

Season 3 also saw her reunite with her on-screen aunt, Hokti, played by Oscar-nominated actress Lily Gladstone. Below, Alexis discusses saying goodbye to Reservation Dogs, expressing pain onscreen, working opposite Gladstone, and much more.

So, I think I would like to start with, you know, what it has been like to close this chapter in your life.

Paulina Alexis: I hope it brings people together and makes them realize how unique and beautiful this show is because it is so real, honest, and humorous. I have said this in many interviews before, but even if I was not in it, I would probably still be obsessed with it. It is my dream show. And I guess I was 19 when we started, and now I am 23. So, I was still a teenager when we started filming, and Willie Jack’s character developed so much that it felt like I grew up alongside her. I think it is wonderful that Willie Jack wants to be a medicine lady out of everyone in the group, which is quite unexpected for her, but she is maturing. It is unfortunate that it must come to an end, but that is okay. I am very appreciative for this opportunity.

One feature of this series that really stands out is its representation of mourning, and Willie Jack is frequently a figure who provides comedic relief. So, when she becomes emotional, it hits harder. Was there any pressure to approach the more emotive sequences?

Not really. I believe it was emotional due to the loss of her cousin, Daniel. I went through the same scenario, so it was not difficult to get into the right mindset for it. And especially during filming. Suicide rates among young people are extremely high, particularly in my hometown. And it saddens me that it must be this way. And I just thought about everyone in the neighborhood and imagined myself going through what Willie Jack did. The scene in Season 3 where Willie Jack is [weeping at Fixico’s burial], those were genuine tears since I had done the same the week before at my cousin/brother’s death. So, everything was real. And that is another reason I think the show is so special: it is real.

You appear opposite Lily Gladstone more than once in the series. What was it like to perform beside her?

I recall the day I met Lily and we began working together. I remember being star-struck when she arrived on set, and I remember being so happy to film that episode with her. And I just thought about everyone in the neighborhood and imagined myself going through what Willie Jack did. The scene in Season 3 where Willie Jack is [weeping at Fixico’s burial], those were genuine tears since I had done the same the week before at my cousin/brother’s death. So, everything was real. And that is another reason I think the show is so special: it is real.

You appear opposite Lily Gladstone more than once in the series. What was it like to perform beside her?

I recall the day I met Lily and we began working together. I remember being star-struck when she arrived on set, and I remember being so happy to film that episode with her. And when we came to recording the episode, I was going through a difficult period, which is unusual for me; normally, I am on top of all my lines and know what is going on, but for some reason, this time I was not feeling it. Normally, I am a one-take wonder.

And I remember taking more takes than usual that day, and people came up to me like, “What’s wrong,” and I was like, “Oh my god, I don’t know what’s going on.” Then Lily arrived, and she began working with and assisting me. She was extremely good. And as soon as I saw Lily, everything felt better, which is probably my favorite part.  But working with her… I do not know how to explain it. Working with Native people half the time just felt like I was working with my relatives. We are so close like that. And as I started working with her, I just lit up and she inspired me so much.

Most of the cast were rookies, but you also worked with great performers such as Graham Green and Wes Studi. Did having that balance improve your performance?

I did not think about it much. I knew D’Pharaoh from our last film, Beans, in which we portrayed siblings. And Devery, oh my goodness, I remember fangirling so hard during the audition when I met her. She worked on a film alongside my brother. And I remember when I saw that movie, Devery was one of the first Native girls I had seen on television, tough, cutthroat, and strong, which is how I have always imagined native women.

I remember as a 12-year-old girl thinking, “Oh my God, I want to do that one day.” When I heard out, I was auditioning for Elora, I thought, “There’s no way I’m going to get it now. “She is a legend, and I adore her.” So, when they asked me to read for Willie Jack, I was like, “Oh my god, okay, this is going somewhere.” Then we flew out for the final audition. That is where I met her. And I remember being awestruck when I saw her. It was a good balance because, at the time, D’Pharaoh, Lane, and I were relatively new to this program.

Speaking about your brother Nathan Alexis, he played little Brownie in the final season’s flashback episode. What was it like to share the Reservation Dogs experience with him?

So cool. My brother did an excellent job as Young Brownie. That was an accurate perception. One of my favorite episodes was “House Made of Bongs,” which featured Quannah Chasinghorse, Isaac [Arellanes], Mato [Wayuhi], and Shelby [Factor]. And it was fantastic to travel back to the 1970s, and my brother did an excellent job. My mother was on set, so she was able to hang out with me, but she also got to watch my brother on set, which was great because he was making everyone laugh.

The show recently received another Peabody Award. What exactly does it mean to be acknowledged in that way?

It felt great to be there. Even though we won last year, we could not attend due to the strikes, so it was quite wonderful. The environment is always positive, and the show will have a lasting impact on my life and Indigenous television. I would want to thank Peabody and the Television Academy for this fantastic opportunity.

Reservation Dogs

Four teenagers, living in a Native American housing project in Oklahoma, commit and fight crime.

Paulina Alexis

ACTRESS

Birth Date: September 10, 2000

Age: 23 years old

Birth Place: Alberta, Canada

Paulina Jewel Alexis is a Canadian actress who is known for her role in “Reservation Dogs” as Willie Jack. Alexis was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award in 2023 for the same project.

Devery Jacobs

ACTRESS • WRITER

Birth Date: August 8, 1993

Age: 30 years old

Birth Place: Kahnawake, Quebec, Canada

Devery Jacobs is an actress, writer, and director who is known for her role in “Reservation Dogs” as Elora Danan. Jacobs was nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award in 2023 for the same project.

Lane Factor

ACTOR

Birth Date: June 28, 2005

Age: 19 years old

Birth Place: Oklahoma

Lane Factor is an American actor who appeared in “Reservation Dogs,” and “The Fabelmans.”

Lily Gladstone

ACTRESS

Birth Date: August 2, 1986

Age: 37 years old

Birth Place: Browning, Montana

Lily Gladstone is an American actress who is best known for her role in “The Unknown Country” as Tana. Gladstone won a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award in 2017 for “Certain Women.”

‘Reservation Dogs’ Elders Go Back in Time With ‘Dazed and Confused’ Inspired Episode

Reservation Dogs continues to explore new areas in its final season, transporting viewers to the 1970s with the latest episode, “House Made of Bongs.”

Set in 1976, the episode focuses on Cheese’s (Lane Factor) “grandma” Irene (Quannah Chasinghorse), Bucky (Mato Wayuhi stepping in as a younger Wes Studi), Uncle Brownie (Nathan Alexis subbing for Gary Farmer), Elora’s (Devery Jacobs) grandma Mabel (Shelby Factor), and their friend Maximus (Isaac Arellanes), who was introduced as an elder in Season 3’s second episode, “Maximus” (played by Graham Greene).

This twisting episode with a Dazed and Confused vibe sheds some light on Maximus’ ultimate departure from the gang after an acid trip gone wrong. Maximus, who has just finished school for the summer, differs from his pals in that he intends to spend the time in school while they all return home. Maximus, who is without parents, does not want to be a burden to anyone, and he refuses to reconcile with his cousin, Fixico (Josiah Wesley Jones), with whom he has recently had a falling out.