Martin Sensmeier Becomes a Series Regular in AMC’s ‘Dark Winds’ for Season 5

Martin Sensmeier Joins Cast of AMC’s Dark Winds for Season 5

Actor Martin Sensmeier, known for his work in The Terminal List and Yellowstone, has been added to the cast of AMC’s Dark Winds for its upcoming fifth season. Currently in production in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sensmeier will portray Terry Bai, a former Vietnam veteran who works at a racetrack and has connections to Chee, played by Kiowa Gordon, dating back to middle school.

This casting marks a reunion for Sensmeier with series lead Zahn McClarnon, who previously starred alongside him in the Western drama The Last Manhunt. Gordon and Sensmeier’s collaboration dates back to Netflix’s The Liberator.

As Dark Winds airs its fourth season on Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT, details about the fifth season remain under wraps. The series was renewed early for its fifth installment, confirming Sensmeier’s role alongside newcomer Paola Núñez, whose casting was announced the previous day.

Based on the Leaphorn & Chee book series by Tony Hillerman, Dark Winds is set in 1971 on a remote outpost of the Navajo Nation near Monument Valley. The narrative follows Lt. Joe Leaphorn, portrayed by McClarnon, as he grapples with a series of seemingly unrelated crimes that force him to confront the wounds of his past. Joined by his new deputy, Jim Chee, the two men navigate their personal demons while battling external threats.

The current season centers on the urgent search for a missing Navajo girl, propelling Leaphorn, Chee, and Manuelito, played by Jessica Matten, from the safety of the Navajo Nation into the treacherous environment of 1970s Los Angeles. They race against time to rescue the girl from an obsessive killer tied to organized crime.

Season 4’s supporting cast includes notable talents such as Franka Potente as Irene Vaggan, Isabel DeRoy-Olson as Billie Tsosie, Chaske Spencer as Sonny, and Titus Welliver as Dominic McNair, a ruthless crime boss.

Dark Winds is created by Graham Roland and showrun by John Wirth, both of whom also serve as executive producers. Other executive producers include the late Robert Redford, George R.R. Martin, and Anne Hillerman, among others.

Sensmeier is poised for a busy year ahead, with lead roles in several upcoming films, including Wind River: Rising and Ice Fall, alongside Joel Kinnaman, as well as independent projects like Cottonmouth and The Isolate Thief. His previous television credits feature significant roles in Taylor Sheridan’s 1883 and Yellowstone, as well as appearances in Westworld, Alaska Daily, and La Brea.