Wes Studi

Internationally acclaimed actor and musician, WES STUDI credits his passion and multi-faceted background for his powerful character portrayals that forever changed a Hollywood stereotype. He has moved audiences with unforgettable performances in DANCES WITH WOLVES, THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, GERONIMO: AN AMERICAN LEGEND, and HEAT, as well as James Cameron's AVATAR and Paul Weitz's BEING FLYNN. Breaking new ground, he brought fully-developed Native American characters to the screen, and then took his craft a step further highlighting the success of Native Americans in non-traditional roles.

In 2013, he was inducted into the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum's Hall of Great Western Performers. Throughout his 30-year career he's won numerous awards, including several First Americans in the Arts awards and the 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.

Studi first took the professional stage in 1984 with BLACK ELK SPEAKS and has never looked back. As his success grew on stage, he expanded to productions for Nebraska Public Television in the summer of 1985. Not long after, he moved to Los Angeles, landing his first film role in POWWOW HIGHWAY and making his TV debut in a small role in the ABC TV movie LONGARM in 1988.

He also made memorable appearances in such films as DEEP RISING (1998) and MYSTERY MEN (1999). In 2002, he brought legendary character Lt. Joe Leaphorn to life for a series of PBS movies produced by Robert Redford and based on Tony Hillerman's books SKINWALKERS, COYOTE WAITS and A THIEF OF TIME.
Studi's other notable film credits include: THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN, which he also produced, THE NEW WORLD, STREET FIGHTER, SERAPHIM FALLS, THREE PRIESTS and such prestigious television movies as CRAZY HORSE, COMANCHE MOON, STREETS OF LAREDO, BROKEN CHAIN and BURY MY HEART AT WOUNDED KNEE. His television credits include THE MENTALIST, HELL ON WHEELS and General Abner in KINGS.