Kiowa Gordon

With his mother's encouragement and the support of his tight-knit Native American family, Kiowa Gordon went from being a relatively unknown actor to having a featured role in one of the most successful film franchises in history. Gordon played the part of half-human/half-werewolf Embry Call in the blockbuster, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" (2009), where his onscreen charisma captured millions of teenagers' hearts worldwide. The seventh of eight children, Gordon was born in Berlin, Germany and moved to the United States when he was one. The family spent a year in McLean, VA, where his father worked for the government, before heading west to Northern Arizona. Gordon, a First Nation Descendant of the Hualapai Nation, grew up in a local reservation, where he learned about his Native American heritage and culture. The future star attended Stapley Junior High School and Mountain View High School before relocating to Cave Creek, AZ with his mother, actress Camille Nighthorse Gordon. His mother played a big role in shaping the young actor's career. Nighthorse encouraged her children to take acting classes and often accompanied them to casting calls and photo shoots.