"It Goes to Show Representation Does Still Matter": Luciane Buchanan on Powerful Chief of War Role

For Buchanan, learning the Hawaiian language unlocked another layer of getting to know Ka‘ahumanu and who she was and how she spoke, but it was also through intense research of the historical events and traveling to the queen's birthplace, Hāna, and the temple where she spent the rest of her life that the actress really understood the power and influence of the queen. Buchanan details her trip to Maui: She rented a touristy Jeep and braved the windy three-hour trek to Hāna, hoping to find the cave where Ka“ahumanu was born. Relying on vague directions from locals and finding herself a little lost along the way, Buchanan eventually stumbled upon the cave.

"I was like, 'This is insane.' I took off my hat, took off my shoes, and just went up to the plaque in the place that she was born and set my intentions of playing the role because I didn't know what I was getting into, and I don't know how the story is written," she shares. "All I know is that I'm playing her, and I don't know if I'm the right person to be telling this story. [I said], 'I just want to let you know if you're listening that I have the best intentions, and the intention is to honor you without any ego.' And then the palm trees around me just shook like crazy. The wind picked up, and it was going wild, and I was like, 'Oh my God, she hates me. She doesn't want me to do it because I'm not Hawaiian, and I don't know anything about the history.' And then it just went silent. It just stopped. And then I jumped in the water, had a swim, and just cleansed off."

That gust of wind was a significant moment in Buchanan's journey to Ka‘ahumanu. In Polynesian culture, the actress explains, hōʻailona are spiritual signs or omens—often seen in nature—that are meant to be important symbols for guidance. At a later moment in her trip, she received another sign when a native bird perched next to her on a park bench at the Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historical Site in Kawaihae on the Big Island. "[Ka‘ahumanu's] name actually translates to 'bird of the cloak,'" the actress says.

Spiritual signs and her own doubts aside, Buchanan had the backing of Momoa and his unwavering belief in her to play this role, which was enough to dispel any negative online chatter. "He was just so steadfast and was like, 'I picked you for this role,'" she says of the actor. "That kind of belief in a project that means so much to him really made me feel confident in this role. So from the get-go, I had his back, and he had mine." Watching Momoa at work as cowriter, executive producer, star, and even director of the finale episode showed Buchanan just what's possible and that, down the line when she wants to do something like this, it can be done.

Among its many achievements, Chief of War is a celebration of Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture on a grand scale, and Buchanan carried that through to the premiere in her choice to wear and highlight Hawaiian designer Rocket Ahuna. "I just knew deep down that I wanted to work with a local Hawaiian designer," she tells me. "It's such a big spotlight for them, but also, it would make sense for the project that we're making to wear that." Having followed Ahuna's work for a while, she knew he was a perfect fit for the occasion, so they got to work on a series of custom outfits.

For the look shown in this story, Ahuna designed a bias-cut skirt and bodysuit inspired by Ka‘ahumanu. "I drew inspiration from the modern-day Kaʻahumanu Society and the attire they're known for, " Ahuna tells me via email. "The black top references the traditional muʻumuʻu they wear, while the yellow accents symbolize the lei they adorn. The skirt is made of palaka, a fabric deeply rooted in Hawaiʻi's plantation history. Since Kaʻahumanu herself was known for her progressive leadership, this look symbolizes the evolution of Hawaiian history."

Buchanan says she is a big history gal herself. When watching the show Vikings, she and a friend loved doing their own deep dives into Viking culture and certain characters, finding out who were real people and who were not. "I hope our show does that," she says. "This is the juiciest, most scandalous drama, and it was real! Jason would always be like, 'You're the Daenerys [Targaryen].' But [Ka‘ahumanu] was real! [There were] no dragons."

Buchanan still can't believe this story hasn't been told on-screen before, but that makes it all the more exciting for it to finally come out and for the world to discover it. She says, "It felt like it was this best-kept secret that we had for a while."

Chief of War premieres on Apple TV+ on August 1.

Photographer: Eric Charbonneau

Stylist: Puna Joon

Hairstylist: Arthur Wilson III

Makeup Artist: Jayel Saito