Meet Michael Horse, The Man Behind The Hawk, In New PBS Documentary Short

We all know Michael Horse as Deputy Tommy “Hawk” Hill, the stoic, perceptive tracker whose quiet wisdom anchors a substantial part of the Twin Peaks mythology. Now Pioneer PBS’s Postcards, a locally-produced program featuring the art, history and cultural heritage of western Minnesota and beyond, offers a rare glimpse behind the hat and the badge. Producer Susan Marks sits down with Horse in his workshop in Two Harbors, Minnesota, to reveal an artist whose creative life runs far deeper than any television role.

Surrounded by the tools of his many trades — jewelry presses, pencils, paintbrushes, etc. — Horse comes across as you’d expect: endearing, funny, and completely unconcerned with the boundaries between one art form and another. “There’s a lot of native cultures that I’ve asked, and there’s not even a word for ‘art’,” he says. “It’s not separate from the human condition.” Horse was an artist long before Hollywood ever came calling: a jeweler, a dancer, a painter. He stumbled into acting almost by accident, and the art always came first. Ask him his favorite thing to do and the answer might surprise you: “Cut rocks,” he says, grinning. The documentary short lingers lovingly on his ledger art: vivid, boldly colored scenes of Native warriors on horseback painted directly over 19th-century accounting books once used by traders, the military, or government offices to document and divide Indigenous lands.

Going into his work in front of the camera, the portrait of course touches upon Twin Peaks and Horse’s relationship with David Lynch: “To be a small dot of color on that man’s artistic palette is enough for me.”

Working with David Lynch is one of the most amazing experiences of my whole entire life, and a true gift.

─Michael Horse

We see several photos of Horse posing happily with fellow cast members and fans, including photos that were gathered a few months ago through the Welcome to Twin Peaks social media accounts. See anyone you recognize?

Throughout the episode, Horse’s wife Pennie Opal Plant is a warm and constant presence — seen beside him in the workshop, walking together in nature, laughing alongside him on camera. Her closing words hold an important message to all of us.

You can watch Postcards with Michael Horse (Season 17, Episode 10 ─ aired May 7, 2026) over at Pioneer PBS, or on The Hawk‘s official Instagram. UPDATE: I’ve embedded the YouTube video below.

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