Anne with an E plans Indigenous storyline
Season 3 will continue to expand ever-growing world of Green Gables
The Canadian comingof-age TORONTO series Anne with an E has found its cast for an Indigenous storyline that will unfold in the upcoming third season.
Producers say 12-year-old Kiawenti:io Tarbell will play Ka’kwet on the CBC and Netflix series that’s inspired by Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel. Tarbell is a Mohawk from Akwesasne, which straddles the St. Lawrence River.
The character is described as an independent, resilient Mi’kmaq girl who befriends Anne, played by Amybeth McNulty.
Showrunner Moira Walley-Beckett and executive producer Miranda de Pencier cast Tarbell after an extensive open-call search across Canada.
Other new Indigenous cast members include Brandon Oakes and Dana Jeffrey.
De Pencier first revealed the Indigenous storyline last month, when Anne with an E got 15 Canadian Screen Award nominations.
“There is an energetic charisma and undeniable intelligence to Kiawenti:io that aligns so perfectly with the character of Ka’kwet,” de Pencier said this week.
“Moira and I can’t wait for Anne with an E fans to meet her.”
The award nominations are for season 2, which included an LGBTQ storyline and the show’s first black character, a Trinidadian sailor played by Dalmar Abuzeid, who is nominated for best guest performance.
“I have always felt compelled to stretch the scope of the original book,” Walley-Beckett said.
“Season 3 promises to be our most intense yet, with storylines about inclusion, romance, pathos and growing pains for all our characters.”