This story contains plot points from episode seven of1923on Paramount+.
Teonna finally escapes the clutches of her captors but trouble continues to follow her.
AMINAH NIEVESFor me it wasnt the same.
Aminah Nieves as Teonna of the Paramount+ series 1923.Emerson Miller/Paramount+
I am aware what happened to our indigenous peoples.
My family made it clear to voice and educate us growing up.
It wasnt the first time for me to read it.
Those traumas are kind of embedded with you.
They get passed through your parents, through the womb, and they connect to you.
But I did even more research than I already knew.
I talked to a bunch of different indigenous communities.
DEADLINE How did you first land this role?
NIEVESI love Tay Tay!
I was not aware of the Taylor Sheridan universe before.
It happens the way it always happens, you get it through your team.
I read it and was emailing my manager like, I dont know man.
I dont know if I should do this.
Its just heavy and triggering.
My manager was so supportive and said, you know what?
I support anything you do so whatever decision you make is a good one.
And then my mom is my reader for everything.
We talked about it a lot.
I did the audition the day it was due because I waited so long.
Its for our communities and for all indigenous peoples across the world.
DEADLINE What scared you the most about doing it?
NIEVESWe did five scenes for the audition from the first three episodes.
They were heavy, heavy scenes.
It was really hard to move through, because you feel everything.
I knew it wasnt just going to be me feeling it.
I knew that there were gonna be ancestors flowing through me.
Thats exactly what happened when I got to set.
I felt like sometimes, I wasnt even in control of my body, you know?
It felt like, Aminah, someone else is here.
Let them take over for a second.
I was scared a lot.
Im so happy that Im here and doing it and being a voice.
DEADLINE Where did you shoot all of your scenes in the school and beyond?
NIEVESSix months in Montana and around Butte with a Walmart.
We probably went to Walmart twice a day to feel something.
Was a lot of choreography involved?
NIEVESWe had an amazing stunt crew, and Jennifer is just an incredible talent.
I bow to her.
She was so tender and kind, moving through everything that we did.
Then wed be, alright, lets shoot it.
We always made sure to be with one another.
Can I tell you a story?
They were already off me.
But when you are put in these situations, she was just scared.
Youre witnessing all the traumas at once.
[Nieves begins to cry].
I think that was a life changing moment for me because I knew she was my sister for life.
Shes everything to me, and an incredible talent too.
That you were going to be able to fight back?
NIEVESWe did have a talk.
He reassured me that she will get hers and she will be victorious.
DEADLINE Its very violent, but I took glee in watching you beat the sisters to death.
NIEVESOh girl, yeah.
That was the hardest scene for Jennifer and I to do together.
For Teonna, it wasnt joyous for her.
It was the hardest thing shes ever had to do because she sees Sister Mary as an abuser.
We share the same soil.
We walk the same.
DEADLINE So are we going to see your character get happy anytime soon?
I dont want to spoil anything!
DEADLINE Can you say if you will, if at all, join the world of the Duttons?
NIEVESI have no clue.
I want to know, too.
Maybe we should write Tay Tay together.
Every single person in the cast was like, what is happening?
But I have faith that Teonna will make it to season two.
We dont know anything happening in season two at all.
He hasnt written anything yet.
DEADLINE What can we expect for Teonna going in to next Sundays finale?
NIEVESHave your box of tissues at hand.
Episode eight really destroyed me.
