‘Walker: Independence,’ the prequel to The CW’s ‘Walker,’ featuring Jared Padalecki, aired on The CW network from October 6, 2022, until March 2, 2023. The Western series is set in the 1800s and revolves around the character Abby Walker, portrayed by Katherine McNamara. It traces her journey to Independence, Texas.

Justin Johnson Cortez takes on the role of Calian, a member of an Apache tribe, who encounters Abby after a devastating tragedy occurs upon her arrival in the town. As a Native Yaqui, he took on the challenge of learning the Apache language to portray this character. Speaking on his appearance on the show in a 2022 chat with Fangasm before it aired, Cortez said:

“When this opportunity came up, I was a bit nervous because I wanted to make sure that the character was going to be represented in a positive way. I didn’t want to represent the same old image of Native American characters onscreen, assimilating into Western culture, so I’m excited to dive in deeper and show the complexities behind this character.”

The actor continued, giving more details about his character:

“There is a way to tell this story by sharing his interests and curiosity in the town in the expansion of the West authentically. That’s going to come out when exploring his past through his history and experience in the world up to that point.”

The cast also featured Katie Findlay, Lawrence Kao, Matt Barr, Philemon Chambers, Greg Hovanessian, and Gabriela Quezada. However, The CW decided to cancel ‘Walker: Independence’ after just one season in May 2023.

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