Michael Spears
Michael Spears | |
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![]() Spears on the set of1883in 2022 | |
Born | Michael Spears December 28, 1977 |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1990–present |
Family | Eddie Spears(brother) |
Michael Spears(born December 28, 1977) is an Indigenous American actor. He is a member of the Kul WičašaLakotafrom the LowerBruléSioux Tribe ofSouth Dakota.
Early life
[edit]Michael Spears was born inChamberlain, South Dakotanear theLower Brulé Indian Reservationto Sičangu Lakota parents and lived there until he was in fifth grade.[1]After that, his family moved toPierre, South Dakota.[2]Later, his family moved toAberdeen, South Dakotawhere he graduated from AberdeenCentral High Schoolin 1995.[3]
He has six siblings. His younger brother,Eddie,is also an actor with film and television credits.[4]
Career
[edit]Film/television
[edit]Spears' debut role as the child character Otter, in the Academy-Award-winning 1990 filmDances with Wolves,earned him national notice at thirteen years old. By the age of seventeen, Spears had acted in both TV and film with other prominent actors such asKevin Costner,Jimmy SmitsandKim Delaney.
Spears' film credits include a major role as the character Dog Star in the 2005Steven Spielberg-producedmini-series,Into the West,which aired onTNT.
In 2014, for his role as Tenkill inAngels in Stardust,Spears received critical acclaim inThe New York Times.[5]
His recent roles include a cameo in Taylor Sheridan's Western series1883,a supporting role[6]in season 2 ofReservation Dogson Hulu, and a supporting role in the series1923on Paramount.[7]
Other work
[edit]In 2005, Michael and Eddie Spears modeled forCochiti Pueblofashion designerVirgil Ortizfor his "Indigene" clothing line and were featured on the cover of the August 2005 issue ofNew Mexico Magazine.[8]
In 2013, he hosted the 38th AnnualAmerican Indian Film InstituteAwards.[9]
In 2014 and 2015, Spears played a recurrent role asSavanukah,a member of the 1777 Cherokee Delegation, inColonial Williamsburg's open-air stage production ofThe Beloved Women of Chota: War Women of the Cherokee.[10]He has also served as a musical contributor to other stage productions and media festivals such as the Bozeman Ice Festival and theBillings Symphony Orchestra.In 2021, Spears performed alongside other acclaimed Indigenous performers in the Billings Symphony Orchestra's symphonic production "Buffalo Crossing,"[11]which integrated the traditional music and dance of Plains tribes with orchestral music.
Personal life
[edit]Spears is an accomplishedhand drumplayer and singer, often performing at powwows and other venues. He was the opening act forRita Coolidgeat her 2005 concert inGreat Falls, Montana.Spears often travels to deliver speeches on inspirational and educational topics, includingsustainable energyand mental health, and mentors Indigenous youth in Montana and South Dakota.
He worked with his late father, Patrick Spears, and his brother Eddie on ICOUP's (Intertribal Council on Utility Policy) Native Energy andNative Wind[12]whose goal was to encourage creation of sustainable energy sources. Formed in 1994, ICOUP provided a forum for utility issues discussion from regulatory and economic perspectives.[13]
Spears can speak some Lakota, which he first learned from his father and grandfather, and is continuing to learn. On the set ofDances with Wolves,Spears received Lakota language instruction from renowned Lakota language instructors Doris and Frank Leader Charge.[14]During the filming ofInto the West,he and the other actors had lessons from linguist Charlie White Buffalo.[15]
Traditional Lakota ways and ceremonies are a priority for Spears, as he often takes part in spiritual and cultural events across the country. Spears has also engaged in activism for the Indigenous community, making appearances at environmental andMMIW,Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, demonstrations[16]and voicing his concerns about the misappropriation of Native culture through sports iconography.[17]
Filmography
[edit]Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1990 | Dances with Wolves | Otter | Film |
1992 | The Broken Cord | Young Adam | TV movie |
1993 | The Broken Chain | Young Lohaheo | TV movie |
1994 | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Stat Man | TV movie |
2002 | Skins | Teddy Yellow Lodge | Film |
2005 | Into the West | Dog Star | TV mini-series |
2007 | Imprint | Tom Greyhorse | Film |
2009 | Shadowheart | Washakie | Film |
2011 | The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy | Kutseena | Film |
2011 | Yellow Rock | Broken Wing | Film |
2012 | Longmire | Micah Dullknife | TV series |
2012 | Guns, Girls, and Gambling | Redfoot | Film |
2013 | Winter in the Blood | Raymond Long Knife | Film |
2014 | Angels in Stardust | Tenkill | Film |
2014 | The Activist | Bud "One Bull" Ward | Film |
2014-2015 | The Beloved Women of Chota | Savanukah | Stage Production |
2017 | The Ballad of Lefty Brown | Biscuit | Film |
2018 | Z Nation | Black Hoof | TV series |
2021 | Chief Tendoy | Chief Tendoy | Short Film |
2021 | Intermountain Opera: The Circle of Resilience | Lakota Singer | PBS Special |
2022 | 1883 | Comanche Trader | TV series |
2022 | Into the Wild Frontier | Hanging Maw | TV series |
2022 | Reservation Dogs | Danny | TV series |
2022 | Year of the Dog | Fred | Film |
2022 | Bring on the Dancing Horses | Posse Member | TV series |
2023 | 1923 | Runs His Horse | TV series |
Awards
[edit]- Young Artist Awards:Nominated in 1993 for Best Young Actor Under Ten in a Television Movie as Adam inThe Broken Cord[18]
- American Indian Film Festivaland Awards: Nominated in 2011 for Best Actor as Broken Wing inYellow Rock
- Awarded Bronze Wrangler Award at theWestern Heritage Awardsin 2012 for Lead Actor as Broken Wing inYellow Rock
- American Indian Film Festival and Awards: Nominated in 2013 for Best Supporting Actor as Bud "One Bull" Ward inThe Activist
References
[edit]- ^Interview with Michael Spears by Patricia Sheridan, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
- ^Morreale, Marie."DreamKeeper: Meet Eddie Spears"Archived2004-09-04 at theWayback Machine,scholastic.com, February 25, 2004.
- ^Aberdeen News"Aberdeen: Former resident on TV series"Archived2014-09-03 at theWayback MachineJanuary 14, 2012.
- ^ProfileArchived2014-04-05 at theWayback Machine,spearsbrothersfans.webs.com; retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^Review,nytimes.com; accessed March 16, 2015.
- ^Poniewozik, James (2022-08-01)."The Remarkable 'Reservation Dogs' Runs Away Toward Home".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.Retrieved2022-08-17.
- ^1923 (TV Series 2022–2023) - IMDb,retrieved2023-03-05
- ^Haaland, Debra."An Eye for Fashion: Cochiti Pueblo's renowned potter Virgil Ortiz has expanded his artistic talents to the world of fashion, now rubbing elbows with famed international designer Donna Karan"Archived2007-12-19 at theWayback Machine,nmmagazine.com; accessed March 16, 2015.
- ^IMDb profile,IMDb; retrieved February 23, 2015.
- ^Bridges, Heather."Hollywood and local actors join forces through CW's American Indian Initiative".vagazette.com.Retrieved2018-02-23.
- ^"'Buffalo Crossing' pairs Northern Cheyenne traditional art forms with symphonic music ".Billings Gazette.Retrieved2021-11-30.
- ^"Home".nativeenergy.com.
- ^Renaud, Roseanna,"KILI celebrates 25 years and wind turbine dedication",LakotaCountryTimes.com; accessed March 16, 2015.
- ^"MOVIES: Kevin Costner's Dance With the Sioux: How the director and star achieved authenticity in his unusual film tribute to the Sioux, 'Dances With Wolves'".Los Angeles Times.1990-10-28.Retrieved2021-12-01.
- ^Interview with Michael Spears by Lynn Taylor Rick, Rapid City JournalArchived2012-07-13 at theWayback Machine
- ^Montana Women's March, Blackfeet Song for Healing Energy,retrieved2023-03-05
- ^"1923 Actor Joins Native Americans Urging Kansas City Chiefs to Change Name".2023-02-10.Retrieved2023-03-05.
- ^Profile,IMDb; accessed March 16, 2015.
External links
[edit]- Michael SpearsatIMDb
- Profile,michaelspearsactor.com; accessed March 16, 2015.
- 1977 births
- American male film actors
- Lower Brulé Sioux Tribe people
- Living people
- Male models from South Dakota
- American environmentalists
- Lakota male actors
- Native American musicians
- People from Chamberlain, South Dakota
- 21st-century American male actors
- 20th-century American male actors
- People from Aberdeen, South Dakota
- People from Pierre, South Dakota
- Central High School (Aberdeen, South Dakota) alumni