Aminah Nieves
WHO
Age: 27
Hometown: Hammond, Indiana
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WHAT
Newcomer Aminah Nieves plays Teonna Rainwater, a student — or rather, prisoner — of a Catholic boarding school in Montana. In 1923’s authentic depiction of how the church dehumanized indigenous youths while trying to assimilate them into European American culture, Teonna rages against — and ultimately escapes — her brutal captors. “I was scared a lot,” the actress recalls of her first season. “I wanted to make sure I was honoring every single human, every single family member, my grandparents, my aunties, my mom, my dad and then all of the communities. I’m so happy that I’m here and doing it and being a voice.”
WHY
Joining 1923 was the realization of a dream she’s held since grade school. After appearing in the requisite school plays, Nieves traveled to New York, where she booked background actor jobs while making ends meet as an herbalist, doula and working at a clothing store. But her big break never came, so she quit all of her gigs and moved back to her parents’ house with only $21 to her name. Fortunately, her manager never lost faith. “We talked a lot about my expectations and my strong ability to say no, because I’m not going to do something that feels icky or doesn’t feel good in my body. He was honest that there isn’t a lot out there, but he was going to try to get me into every room possible. He only submitted me for leads. I was only with him for eight months before I booked 1923.”
But it wasn’t the easiest decision to accept the part. “I read it and was emailing my manager, ‘I don’t know, man. I don’t know if I should do this. It’s 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.’ 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. I was scared. My mom 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.’”
WHEN & WHERE
Though her character’s tragic journey is far from over, Nieves is eager to see what Season 2 of 1923 brings. More than that, she’s appreciative that her breakout role has made such an impact on viewers. “From what my family says and from what other cast members and their families are saying, it’s really great feedback,” Nieves says. “People have told me that it’s given them the opportunity to be more open with what is happening [within the community]. I think that’s the whole reason why we do this art, to share honest and real stories that spark curiosity and help people feel safe. Having a moment to see yourself and to feel the strength to talk about certain things is super important. That’s all I wish for — sharing these stories that make people want to do a Google search to see what really happened.”
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