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Wes Studi

Highest Rated: 95% A Love Song (2022)

Lowest Rated: 11% Street Fighter (1994)

Birthday: Dec 17, 1947

Birthplace: Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, USA

This often intimidating but charismatic and ruggedly handsome actor of full-blooded Cherokee heritage enhanced several thoughtful Hollywood Westerns of the 1990s by thoroughly embodying roles that would have once been mere stereotypes and imbuing them with depth and dignity. The intense and muscular Studi first gained attention playing the "toughest" of the Pawnees in Kevin Costner's ambitious and well-meaning revisionist work "Dances With Wolves" (1990). He also lent his powerful presence to Oliver Stone's "The Doors" (1991), as the silent Indian in the desert, before coming into his own as a film and TV character player. The Oklahoma-born performer's native language is Cherokee, which he spoke until he started primary school at age five. Returning from serving in the Vietnam War, Studi became seriously involved with Native American politics. He joined the American Indian Movement and participated in their 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. Studi subsequently attended college and helped start a Cherokee newspaper. He also began teaching the Cherokee language professionally before shifting to running his own horse ranch. The late 70s found Studi divorced and bereft of his ranch. Thinking it would be a good way to meet women, he decided to start taking acting lessons. Studi gained substantial stage experience in many productions with the American Indian Theatre Company and in a touring one-man show, "Coyote Chews His Own Tale." He consolidated his standing in films with a searing performance as the fiercely angry Magua in Michael Mann's stirring adaptation of "The Last of the Mohicans" (1992). Studi finally entered the limelight via his gritty yet noble interpretation of the title role of Walter Hill's classically elegant $35 million biopic "Geronimo: An American Legend" (1993). The commercial failure of that project sent him back to more fully clothed character roles in the forgettable Jean-Claude Van Damme vehicle "Street Fighter" (1994) and the high profile crime film "Heat" (1995). The latter project reunited him with "Last of the Mohicans" writer-director Mann and cast him as a L.A. cop aiding Al Pacino in his pursuit of professional thief Robert De Niro and his gang. Studi's distinctive bass voice can often be heard on TV documentaries about the Native American experience. He has also appeared in several historical TV-movies, series and miniseries. Wes Studi received an Honorary oscar at the 2nd Annual Academy Awards in 2020.

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Highest rated movies

95% 68% A Love Song Watchlist 95% 88% Soul Watchlist
88% 88% The Last of the Mohicans
Watchlist
87% 87% Dances With Wolves
Watchlist
83% 94% Heat Watchlist 81% 82% Avatar Watchlist 76% 82% Mending the Line Watchlist
71% 76% Hostiles
Watchlist
69% 64% Christmas in the Clouds
Watchlist
60% 57% Mystery Men Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Terra Infirma Unknown (Character) - 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Roof Unknown (Character) - 2023
76% 82% Mending the Line Harrison (Character) $377.9K 2022
95% 68% A Love Song Lito (Character) $278.6K 2022
No Score Yet No Score Yet Bonnie Self - 2022
95% 88% Soul Counselor (Voice) $870.6K 2020
No Score Yet No Score Yet Rolling Thunder Wes (Character) - 2019
57% 44% Badland Harlan Red (Character) - 2019
59% 71% A Dog's Way Home Captain Mica (Character) $42.0M 2019
71% 76% Hostiles Chief Yellow Hawk (Character) $29.8M 2017
No Score Yet No Score Yet From Ashes to Immortality Warrior (Character) - 2016
No Score Yet 27% The Condemned 2 Cyrus Merrick (Character) - 2015
44% 56% Planes: Fire & Rescue Windlifter (Voice) $59.2M 2014
54% 55% Road to Paloma Numay (Character) - 2014
33% 41% A Million Ways to Die in the West Cochise (Character) $42.6M 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Samoloty 2 Unknown (Character) - 2014
No Score Yet No Score Yet Pie Lady of Pie Town Narrator - 2014
No Score Yet 70% Sugar Bishop (Character) - 2013
No Score Yet 18% Battledogs Captain Falcons (Character) - 2013
49% 41% Being Flynn Captain (Character) $526.3K 2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet Dome of Heaven DeWayne Moses (Character) - 2011
No Score Yet No Score Yet Canes of Power Narrator - 2010
No Score Yet 19% The Undying Lt. Wascoe (Character) - 2009
81% 82% Avatar Eytucan (Voice) $23.5M 2009
No Score Yet 38% Call of the Wild Hatcher (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 70% The Only Good Indian Sam (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 75% 21 and a Wakeup Unknown (Character) - 2009
No Score Yet 40% El Camino Dave (Character) - 2008
No Score Yet No Score Yet Three Priests Ben (Character) - 2008
No Score Yet 78% Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Wovoka/Jack Wilson (Character) - 2007
No Score Yet No Score Yet Cosmic Radio Sherriff Mike Nighthorse (Character) - 2007
No Score Yet 24% Miracle at Sage Creek Chief Thomas (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet 24% Animal Creeper (Character) - 2005
No Score Yet 71% A Thief of Time Joe Leaphorn (Character) - 2004
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Ugly One: Thor's Revenge Father Mike (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 77% On the Edge Cuch (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 69% Coyote Waits Joe Leaphorn (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 50% The Lone Ranger Kulakinah (Character) - 2003
No Score Yet 73% Skinwalkers Lt. Joe Leaphorn (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet 60% Superfire Joe Nighttrail (Character) - 2002
49% 46% Undisputed Mingo Pace (Character) - 2002
No Score Yet 62% Road to Redemption Frank Lightfoot (Character) $248.9K 2001
69% 64% Christmas in the Clouds Bingo Caller (Character) $78.3K 2001
No Score Yet 57% Wind River Pocatello (Character) - 1999
60% 57% Mystery Men The Sphinx (Character) $29.8M 1999
No Score Yet 0% Soundman Terry Leonard (Character) - 1998
36% 44% Deep Rising Hanover (Character) $11.2M 1998
No Score Yet 60% The Killing Jar Cameron (Character) - 1997
No Score Yet 89% Crazy Horse Red Cloud (Character) - 1996
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lone Justice 3 One Horse (Character) - 1996
83% 94% Heat Detective Casals (Character) $66.2M 1995
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lone Justice II One Horse (Character) - 1995
11% 20% Street Fighter Victor Sagat (Character) $33.2M 1994
No Score Yet No Score Yet Wolfridge Unknown (Character) - 1994
50% 52% Geronimo: An American Legend Geronimo (Character) $18.4M 1993
No Score Yet 69% The Broken Chain Seth/Chief/Speaker for the Tribes (Character) - 1993
88% 88% The Last of the Mohicans Magua (Character) $72.2M 1992
87% 87% Dances With Wolves Toughest Pawnee (Character) $184.0M 1990

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Finding Your Roots Guest 2024
No Score Yet No Score Yet American Veteran Host 2021
91% 90% Penny Dreadful Kaetenay (Character) 2016
No Score Yet No Score Yet In Plain Sight Chief Pierce (Guest Star) 2012
73% 90% Hell on Wheels Unknown (Guest Star) 2011-2012
No Score Yet No Score Yet La Plaza -- Maria Hinojosa: One-on-One Guest 2011
No Score Yet 90% The Mentalist Joseph Silverwing (Guest Star) 2010
No Score Yet 100% Kings Gen. Linus Abner (Character) 2009
No Score Yet No Score Yet Comanche Moon Unknown (Character) 2008
20% No Score Yet UC: Undercover Unknown (Guest Star) 2002
No Score Yet No Score Yet Promised Land Unknown (Guest Star) 1997