“1923,” the “Yellowstone” prequel, is back for its second and final season.

Among Season 2’s changes, the role of Pete Plenty Clouds has been recast following the death of Cole Brings Plenty, who played a sheep herder in the first season. Jeremy Gauna takes on the role and continues Plenty Clouds’ storyline.

Brings Plenty was found dead in Kansas City last April. The 27-year-old actor’s family filed a missing persons report on March 31 after an alleged domestic violence incident. His body near an unoccupied vehicle a week later. No cause of death has been revealed, but Kansas authorities ruled out any “indication of foul play.”

The deceased actor’s father, Joe Brings Plenty Sr., said in November that he was “fighting to find out” what happened to his son. “We want a full investigation done, a fair investigation, to find out what happened with Cole,” he said at the Red Nation Film Festival in Los Angeles.

Before filming resumed last July, showrunner Taylor Sheridan made the decision to recast Pete and hired Gauna to step in. Gauna played Tall Shadow in Netflix’s “American Primeval,” as well as smaller parts in “The Last Son,” “The Harbinger” and another “Yellowstone” prequel, “1883.”

The actor talked to The Times about paying tribute to Brings Plenty, who he considered to be a close friend, and tackling the new role — calling it his “purpose.”

This interview has been edited for clarity.

This isn’t your first appearance in the “Yellowstone” universe; you also played a key role in “1883.” How did you react to being invited back?

Yeah, I was the Native that shot and killed Elsa in “1883,” which is a pivotal part of the show.

But first, I should say that this opportunity didn’t come without the loss of Cole Brings Plenty in real life. It was a very difficult call to receive, but it was also bittersweet. I’ve lost a friend and somebody who was a staple in our community. I also got to honor my really good friend and his family.

I didn’t realize you and Cole knew each other. How did you guys become acquainted?

We were close friends and it all started through social media. I also know his uncle, Mo Brings Plenty [who appears on “Yellowstone”], and got to meet Cole through him, and just love on him. We would talk on a daily basis. I would hear his struggles in life and hear the joy about what was to come with “1923.” He was so pumped for this role. He couldn’t believe he was going to be in every episode. It’s tough to wrap your head around the way things are now.

But to be in that position, I understood that it was bigger than anything that had to do with me. I’m not doing it for the accolades. I’m not doing it for anything other than just to make sure that everyone remembers and honors him. I understand that it’s my purpose. Some people might not fully grasp that, but I completely have, and Cole has been with me throughout the entire process.

After you got the call to step in as Pete, how did you begin to approach or prepare for this role?

Honestly, it was prayer and ceremony that led me to have communications with Cole. I was trying to grasp what was needed for Pete to continue on and how to approach the space that was there before, while also adding my own little flair to him.

I gave it to the ancestors and to Cole and said, “Look, I am going to do my part in understanding and trying my best to learn the language and to honor the tribe, but also honor Cole and everybody else that had already worked on Season 1.” I felt that I owed it to them to give my all and to focus on being the rock, the boulder for everybody who was going through it emotionally.

What was the atmosphere like on set? Were there any moments where you could feel Cole guiding you?

There were multiple times I just could hear Cole saying some smart little comment under his breath like, “I wouldn’t have done that” or “I don’t know if that was good.” I could just feel it. But I always knew the first time I came out of the trailer as Pete would be hard, especially for Aminah [Nieves, who plays Pete’s love interest, Teonna Rainwater].

When I got into wardrobe, the energy was very somber. Everyone could tell that something was different. I remember I got dressed, they took their pictures, and then I was about to leave, the team asked me if I wanted to look in the mirror first. I said, “Not really” and they said I should “just for myself.” And boom, when I did, tears flowed from everyone. I walked out to find Amina, and it was a very beautiful and sweet moment where she broke down. I just got to hold her and hug her and just let her know that I was going to be there with her throughout the entire process.

I knew that my job was to be there in that moment and throughout this whole process, which was just to love on him and let them know that Cole’s still with us.

From his family’s perspective, Cole’s death still has unanswered questions. How do you think your portrayal of Pete may resonate with those people who are mourning him?

His family opened up their hearts to me and allowed me into their world of grief and pain — but also relief, joy and the beauty of life. It fed me whenever I became Pete. It allowed me the freedom to move as if Cole was right next to me, telling me what to do. As an artist, I felt Cole moving my body and doing things. It wasn’t just me. It was going through me and allowed me to perform to the best of my ability. When I watch clips, I can feel that it’s not me. It’s literally Cole pushing me and the ancestors guiding me to deliver the performance that was needed.

Were there any moments where you were doubtful or felt like you couldn’t take on Pete’s character?

I was confident the entire time. I had zero fears. I wholeheartedly gave it to Cole and our ancestors. I knew what I needed to do to get the job done, that’s why I was prepping and working my butt off.

Sometimes “1923” can get gruesome, especially when portraying Indigenous people. Why do you think this kind of depiction stands out in the show?

It’s beyond anything that I could fathom or even wrap my head around. These stories, some fiction and nonfiction, are a few of thousands. And in many ways, this story is even toned down — there are ones that are 100 times worse than what you’re witnessing. Though it may be hard for some to watch, we need people to sit down and watch this because they may not have known about it before. What makes it so hard to watch is that it’s partially true.

Without these stories being told, history could repeat itself. And we definitely do not need to regress. We need to progress. We need to grow. We need to be better all the way around, throughout humanity and just in general. All I can say is that everyone has their story. Until we all get the opportunity to hear everybody’s story, it’s going to be difficult for everybody to understand others’ lessons if they don’t take the time to learn it.

“1923” streams Sundays on Paramount+.