Teonna Rainwater’s story on Yellowstone prequel 1923 was a history lesson, but the actress at the center of it was — at first — a reluctant teacher.

Aminah Nieves says she came very close to never auditioning for the role.

In fact, she sent in her tape on the due date and only did that because her mother pushed her to try.

“(She) was like, ‘Aminah, you have to do this, not just for you, it’s for us. It’s for our communities and for all indigenous peoples across the world,’” Nieves tells Deadline.

That’s not the only remarkable part of her audition. The woman who plays Teonna Rainwater says her early life goals and ambitions didn’t reflect her native heritage. She wanted to be a very different kind of entertainer growing up, and then she reconciled with who she is.

No Season 2 spoilers here. Nieves has done multiple interviews about her time on 1923, including two with Taste of Country and the Dutton Rules podcast.

Who Is Aminah Nieves?

Aminah Nieves was born on Oct. 2, 1995 and raised in Hammond, Ind. Growing up, she was always called to the stage, but first wanted to be a traveling symphonic musician before hard-pivoting and attending acting school in New York City.

After college, she did a lot of background acting work and supported herself with up to four jobs at once. She was a doula and worked at a clothing store.

“I’m also an herbalist,” she tells Deadline, “so I was working at my herbal shop and doing my own practice outside of that.”

However, none of that satisfied her, so she moved back home.

Her manager sent her the part for Teonna Rainwater, but she felt the role would be triggering and put off the audition for a long time. Later, she’d admit that when she landed the part, she had $21 to her name.

Aminah Nieves as Teonna Rainwater on 1923

In many ways, the part was triggering, but Nieves says Taylor Sheridan and the crew made the set a safe space. She learned how to speak Crow on set and did many of her own stunts. Actors she fought on screen (Jennifer Ehle, Sebastian Roché) were soft and tender off screen.

Still, the experience touched her on a deep emotional level to the point that she’d have on-set anxiety attacks and often finish a scene and break down in tears.

“What really helped me stay grounded was having Leenah Robinson (Teonna’s cousin, Baapuxti on 1923) there with me,” she tells Elle.

A Season 1 scene that found the nuns surrounding her and beating her in a cafeteria was particularly traumatic. The audition actually called for her to recreate the scene in which she kills Sister Mary (played by Jennifer Ehle).

“For Teonna, it wasn’t joyous for her,” Nieves tells Deadline. “It was the hardest thing she’s ever had to do because she sees Sister Mary as an abuser.”

In interviews, Rainwater has alluded to her close bond with original Pete Plenty Clouds actor Cole Brings Plenty. He died in April 2024, forcing a change in actors for Season 2. It’s clear the two were close off screen.

Aminah Nieves’ TV and Film Roles

Aminah Nieves does not have a long list of projects at her IMDB page. A short film called Dogwood and another project called Blueberry are often mentioned. 1923 was her breakout role, and it led to other high-profile jobs.

The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow cast Nieves for an upcoming thriller that’s yet to be named. Idris Elba is also listed as cast for a Netflix film that stars Kyle Allen, Willa Fitzgerald and Greta Lee.