Why Evangeline Navarro From True Detective: Night Country Looks So Familiar
Contains spoilers for "True Detective: Night Country" Episode 1
The events of "True Detective: Night Country" take place in and around Ennis, Alaska, where cynical police chief Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) has to rally her troops to solve the mystery of a disappeared research station staff during a period of seasonal darkness. Danvers isn't the only one who takes interest in the case, though. Alaska State Trooper Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) feels that the situation is connected to an earlier murder of an indigenous activist, and attempts to insert herself in the investigation despite her troubled personal history with Danvers.
Since "True Detective" Season 1 paired Matthew McConaughey's Rust Cohle and Woody Harrelson's Marty Hart, the series has been characterized by a strong focus on its powerful, troubled main characters. Foster is a legendary actor with two Academy Awards to her name, so being co-leads with her is a tall order. However, Reis is a perfect fit for the task, and her portrayal of the brooding, impulsive Navarro matches the world-weary intensity Foster infuses in Danvers. But what kind of background has led to Reis' powerhouse performance? Here's where you may have seen her before.
Kali Reis hasn't been acting for long
Perhaps surprisingly, Kali Reis is a relative newcomer in the business. In fact, she's acted in just two projects before "True Detective: Night Country." In 2021, she made her film debut as the co-writer and lead of the crime thriller, "Catch the Fair One," playing the central role of boxer Kaylee. "She's got this great mix of strength and warmth, and it allows for her really tough character to have this kind of special vulnerability," the movie's executive producer, acclaimed filmmaker Darren Aronofsky told the Los Angeles Times. "I don't think it'd feel like the same story without Kali as the lead. She's a part of the film's DNA." The faith in Reis wasn't unfounded, as she was nominated for several awards and won a Gotham Independent Film Award for her performance.
After "Catch the Fair One," Reis joined the cast of the thriller drama, "Black Flies," alongside names like Sean Penn and Mike Tyson. The film was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, where it competed for a Palme d'Or award.
Reis herself is indigenous, and much like her "Night Country" character, actively calls attention to murdered and missing indigenous women. As such, she put in the work to make sure that the show's cultural representation is on point. "I hope that the Inupiaq indigenous people can see themselves on screen not being portrayed as the typical drug addict, alcoholic, womanized, abused victim, that they can see themselves in their community," she said in an interview with Bleacher Report. "I did the best I could to collaborate with actual Inupiaq people so they can see themselves represented on screen, so I hope that comes through."
She's a world champion boxer
Though Kali Reis may not have too many acting credits, she's a highly recognizable face from her other career — boxing. She's a highly successful boxer whose nickname, "KO Menuinonoag," speaks volumes about her in-ring prowess. Her boxing record is 19-7-1, and she has held a total of six different World Titles. She's also the first indigenous female boxer to win a world championship. For her sports achievements, Reis was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletic Hall of Fame in 2022.
Reis hasn't fought since 2021. Still, despite her transition toward acting in recent years, she has noted that her boxing days might not be behind her just yet. "I like to say I'm the J. Cole of women's boxing because I ain't retired, and I'll drop a hot 16 on you real quick," Reis told Bleacher Report. "Put me up in that title fight and I've been there, I've seen things. I ain't completely a veteran yet, but I'm in that good 'Middle Child' situation."