Choctaw actor Jeremy “JP” Gauna didn’t know his childhood was hard while he was living it. Like many people who grow up struggling as the norm, it wasn’t something he questioned at the time. It was only later, as an adult, that the weight of those early years became clear. Looking back, he understands just how much resilience was required simply to keep moving forward.

Work ethic was inherited in JP’s world. It came from his grandfather, Jimmy Lee Barkus, whose lessons were always practical. If you had a car, it didn’t matter how far away the job was. You showed up. You worked. That belief wasn’t just personal; it was cultural. “Choctaws are hard workers,” Gauna says, and that truth shaped how he approached every opportunity, whether he felt ready for it or not.

Before acting ever entered the picture, Gauna built a steady career in marketing and advertising at The Dallas Morning News, where he worked for seven years. It was a life with structure and predictability until one ordinary walk to work changed everything. Across the street, a television production crew was filming. Crew members waved him over, directing him toward a hallway marked for actors. Gauna laughed it off. He wasn’t an actor. He had a job to get to.

But someone handed him a card anyway and told him to take a picture in front of a white wall and email it to them.

Five minutes later, his phone rang. He had just been booked for background work on Queen of the South.

What began as coincidence quickly became a series of important connections. On set, Gauna met Indigenous actors who recognized something unique in him—his presence, his look, his timing. One encouraged him to take acting classes, telling him he was standing at the edge of a real opportunity. Though he held onto his job at the newspaper, Gauna used his paid time off to train, learning the craft between workdays and weekends.

The effort paid off. He landed a small speaking role on Queen of the South. That role led to signing with an agent. And suddenly, the path forward looked different.

Eventually, Gauna ran out of PTO…and excuses. He was forced to choose between stability and possibility. His colleagues at The Dallas Morning News encouraged him to chase his dream, offering a severance package and heartfelt support. Then, almost immediately, the COVID-19 global pandemic shut everything down.

Nothing was filming. Nothing was certain. The industry was silent.

That severance became a lifeline. So did flexibility. When his friend Willie Molina called and asked if he wanted to work as a production assistant on The Chosen, Gauna didn’t hesitate. Even though he had no idea what the job entailed, he stepped in, grateful for income and purpose.

What he didn’t expect was how deeply fulfilling it would become.

Being part of The Chosen, a historical drama chronicling the life of Jesus,changed Gauna’s life. It reminded him that storytelling matters. He is drawn to narratives that are difficult to hear and uncomfortable to watch. Stories that weren’t explained in textbooks but lived by real people and real communities.

“You don’t want to deal with it because it’s too rough; it’s too personal; it’s too close to home. Those are the stories that I want to be a part of–the ones that make you feel uncomfortable and make you understand [what really happened],” said Gauna.

These are the stories Gauna believes still need telling. The stories of his grandfather. Of his Choctaw ancestors. Of Indigenous people whose experiences have been softened, erased, or ignored.

Gauna believes he was placed on this path for a reason. He is meant to love people regardless of how they look, what they believe, or what they have. He believes we should laugh at ourselves, listen without judgment, and understand that struggle is universal.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to walk and step through that door but then stick a boulder in the door to keep it open for others,” Gauna said.

When we talk about our stories—honestly, openly—we grow. And together, Gauna believes, we grow stronger.

According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Gauna has been cast in 13 productions from 2018 to 2025, including the wildly successful “Yellowstone” spinoffs “1883” and “1923.” His most recent role was Kansas in five episodes of “Blue Ridge: The Series.” According to the Internet Movie Database (IMDB), Gauna has been cast in 13 productions from 2018 to 2025, including the wildly successful “Yellowstone” spinoffs “1883” and “1923.” His most recent role was Kansas in five episodes of “Blue Ridge: The Series.”