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Wes Studi
Wes Studi
Personal details
Date of birth: December 17, 1947 (1947-12-17) (age 76)
Birth place: December 17, 1947 in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, USA
Years active: 1988 - present
Hell on Wheels
Character: Chief Many Horses
Season: 1
First episode: "Bread and Circuses"
Last episode: "Timshel"
Credits: 3
Wes Studi, born December 17, 1947 (1947-12-17) (age 76) in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, USA, is an actor of Cherokee heritage. He has a recurring guest starring role in the first season as Chief Many Horses. He has also appeared in The Last of the Mohicans (1992), Heat (1995), The New World (2005), and Avatar (2009).

Biography[]

Early life[]

Studi was born Wesley Studie in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, the son of Maggie, a housekeeper, and Andy Studie, a ranch hand. Studi was schooled at Chilocco Indian Agricultural School in Northern Oklahoma. Until he attended grade school, he spoke only Cherokee. In 1967, he was drafted into the Army and served 18 months in Vietnam. After his discharge, Studi studied at Tulsa Junior College.

Career[]

Studi became an actor. He is best known for his roles as brave and ruthless Indians, such as the Pawnee warrior in Dances with Wolves (1990), and Magua in The Last of the Mohicans (1992).

A year later, he was cast with Eric Schweig for TNT's film The Broken Chain which was shot in Virginia. In 1993 Studi had the lead in Geronimo: An American Legend. Studi won a Western Heritage Award (shared with cast and crew) in 1994 for Geronimo: An American Legend. He played Detective Casals in Michael Mann's crime film Heat (1995).

He showed a talent for comedy as the "terribly mysterious" superhero Sphynx in the 1999 film Mystery Men. In 2002, Studi brought to life the legendary character Lt. Joe Leaphorn, for a series of PBS movies based on Tony Hillerman's novels and produced by Robert Redford. The trilogy of television features comprised Skinwalkers (2002), Coyote Waits (2003), and A Thief of Time (2004).

In 2005, Studi portrayed a character based on the Powhatan chief Opechancanough in The New World. The 2005 Academy Award-nominated film was directed by Terrence Malick.

In 2007 he played Wovoka in the HBO miniseries Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. He also played Charon in Seraphim Falls (2007).

On April 20, 2009 Studi appeared as Major Ridge in "Trail of Tears", the third episode of We Shall Remain, a ground-breaking mini-series that establishes Native history as an essential part of American history, in PBS's acclaimed series American Experience. He spoke his native Cherokee throughout his performance. Also in 2009, Studi appeared in James Cameron's science fiction epic Avatar, as Eytukan, the chieftain of a Na'vi tribe called the Omaticaya clan. Also in 2009 he had a recurring role in the NBC series Kings as General Linus Abner. The show was canceled after completing its first season.

Credits[]

Guest star[]

Season 1 credits
"Pilot" "Immoral Mathematics" "A New Birth of Freedom" "Jamais Je Ne T'oublierai" "Bread and Circuses"
"Pride, Pomp and Circumstance" "Revelations" "Derailed" "Timshel" "God of Chaos"

External links[]

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