‘Reservation Dogs’ breakout star Lane Factor could be Emmy bound
“Reservation Dogs” has officially wrapped. Created by Sterlin Harjo and Oscar-winner Taika Waititi, the FX comedy series quickly became a fan favorite and critical darling for its poignant, pointed, funny, and heartfelt take on four Indigenous friends coming of age in rural Oklahoma. The friends in question were played by Devery Jacobs, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Paulina Alexis, and Lane Factor.
Each of them delivered their own special performance and established themselves as actors to watch out for in differing ways, including Factor. As Cheese, Factor exudes easy charm and a relaxed on-screen presence, making him one of the most pleasant characters to hang out with not just in this show but in any series this year — as noted by critics.
Matthew Jackson (Looper) noted: “This is helped along by the always-stellar writing, of course, but even after two seasons of great work, it’s truly stunning just how great the cast is in this final outing. Woon-A-Tai, Jacobs, Alexis, and Factor are all delivering incredible work, cementing their characters as some of the best on television in the last decade.”
Proma Khosla (Indie Wire) stated: “The show never strays far from Alexis and Factor’s enchanting dynamic and comedic timing. An early conversation between Willie Jack and Cheese establishes that they’ll be left alone when the other two move on, and even if they aren’t scared, they want to be ready.”
Kristin Baldwin (Entertainment Weekly) opined: “‘Reservation Dogs’ has a similar feel. Every season, Harjo and his writers sketch out a linear narrative and then adorn it with bursts of incidental color: Cheese, played with transcendent sincerity by Factor, drawing a medieval-themed cartoon in his notebook on the long bus ride home.”
Laura Bradley (The Daily Beast) observed: “On screen, Woon-A-Tai, Jacobs, Alexis, and Factor have built a small community among themselves that feels not just believable but alive—prone to ups and downs, susceptible to fractures and scars, but also, somehow, bigger than the individuals themselves. The kinship that the Reservation Dogs share is the kind of friendship that’s big enough, strong enough, and deep enough to be redemptive.”
As such, Factor could be set for a successful year at the Emmys for several reasons. Firstly, he’s an up-and-coming breakout actor — this is the profile of performer that often gets recognized in Factor’s potential Emmy category of Best Comedy Supporting Actor. Recent such nominees include Tyler James Williams (“Abbott Elementary”), Bowen Yang (“Saturday Night Live”), Phil Dunster (“Ted Lasso”), and Toheeb Jimoh (“Ted Lasso”).
Factor also plays perhaps the most naturally likable character in the show. Cheese is relaxed, laid-back, easy-going, and just a hell of a lot of fun to watch and hang out with. The character’s charm and likability could translate to Emmy success for the actor as it has done in the past in this category. Williams (“Abbott Elementary”), Tony Shalhoub (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”), Nick Mohammed (“Ted Lasso”), William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”), and Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”) were all nominated for playing likable characters.
It’s also the final season of “Reservation Dogs,” which helps Factor out here. He hasn’t been nominated before but many supporting actors have been recognized for the final seasons of their shows, including Henry Winkler and Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”), Dunster and Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso”), Paul Reiser (“The Komisnky Method”), and Dan Levy (“Schitt’s Creek”).
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