Wes Studi Movies
Full-blooded Cherokee actor Wes Studi didn't discover his true calling until much later in life than most actors. Stricken by his vocational teacher's early advice that he should be realistic and settle for life as a low-paid and under-appreciated worker, Studi admits that the advice cast a shadow under which he lived for years, uninspired to seek his fortune in the face of overwhelming... (read more) adversity and slim odds of finding true success.
Born in Nofire Hollow, OK, in 1946 (or maybe 1947), Studi laughingly admits that there is some uncertainty to the actual date), the soft-spoken actor was the eldest of four sons and spent the majority of his childhood in Northeastern Oklahoma. The son of a ranch hand, Studi received his early education at Chilocco Indian School before graduating high school and being drafted into the army. Soon after being drafted Studi served 18 months in Vietnam.
Returning disillusioned by the horrors of war and the sometimes hostile reception that veterans received, Studi drifted for a couple of years, spending much of his time traveling and visiting his old Vietnam buddies. Seeking further sustenance, Studi entered Tulsa Junior College on the G.I. Bill. After Tulsa, Studi became inspired to make a difference in peoples lives, soon joining the American Indian Movement. Later attending Tahlequah University, Studi made further attempts at positive influence in his work with the Cherokee Nation.
Though he had been married previously, the relationship had failed and Studi remarried in 1974. Working for the Tulsa Indian Times while his wife worked as a teacher, the couple had two children while living in their Tulsa ranch before his second marriage suffered the same unfortunate fate as his first. It was the breakup of this marriage that found Studi discovering his true calling as an actor.
Studi found success appearing in theater as well as in productions for Nebraska Public Television in the summer of 1985. It was after Studi's role in the 1988 PBS production The Trial of Standing Bear that he fully realized his passion for acting. Soon deciding to make the fateful move to Los Angeles, Studi found work in such films as Dances With Wolves (1990) and Last of the Mohicans (1992) before taking a starring role in 1993's Geronimo: An American Legend. Making memorable appearances in such films as Heat (1995), Crazy Horse (1996), and Deep Rising (1998), Studi flourished in his new calling, finding frequent work with his expressive features and warm sense of humor. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Skinwalkers
2002
Adapted from Tony Hillerman's best-selling novel by James Redford (stepson of Robert Redford), Skinwalkers was the vanguard of the proposed PBS anthology...
Undisputed
R 2002
Director and screenwriter Walter Hill returns to one of his favorite themes -- desperate and violent men using force to escape from an unforgiving environment -- in this...
Christmas in the Clouds
PG 2001
Ray (Tim Vahle) has just returned from college to run a Native-American ski lodge. A laid-back place where employees' children play in the lobby and the handyman has a habit...
Road to Redemption
PG 2001
A woman in need of a miracle finds one in an unexpected manner in this inspirational comedy-drama. Amanda (Julie Condra) works as a secretary for Sully (Leo Rossi), a...
Mystery Men
PG13 1999
Can seven not-so-superheroes save a city of the future? Based on the comic book series created by Bob Burden, Mystery Men is set in the teeming metropolis of Champion City,...
Deep Rising
R 1998
Stephen Somers wrote and directed this $50 million science-fiction action-thriller. Set in the South China Sea, the story has been described as a cross between The Poseidon...
Soundman
R 1998
Steven Widi Ho directed this drama about sound mixer Igby Walters (Wayne Pere), who's working on a western-style Hamlet titled Dead Cowboys. After Igby encounters...
Wind River
PG13 1998
In 1854 Utah, 13-year old Nick Wilson (Blake Heron), bored by life on the family farm with his widowed mother (Karen Allen), accepts an invitation to join a local...
Killing Jar
R 1997
A man's past comes back to haunt him -- literally -- in this thriller. After surviving a traumatic auto accident that took the life of a close friend and injured his brother,...
Crazy Horse
1996
The true-story of Native American legend Crazy Horse is told in this made-for-cable movie. Michael Greyeyes stars as the Oglala Sioux warrior who battled for freedom against...
Lone Justice: Showdown at Plum Creek
PG 1996
Reformed outlaw Ned Blessing (Brad Johnson) now protects the peace as sheriff of the small frontier settlement of Plum Creek. His past comes back to haunt him, however, when...
Heat
R 1995
A successful career criminal considers getting out of the business after one last score, while an obsessive cop desperately tries to put him behind bars in this intelligent...
Streets of Laredo
1995
This miniseries follows the original Lonesome Dove miniseries, and both are based on the characters created by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Larry McMurtry. Although much of...
Lone Justice 2
PG13 1995
Directed by Jack Bender, Lone Justice 2 centers around the jailed Ned Blessing (Brad Johnson) as he reminisces about his hometown and the skirmishes he had gotten into...
500 Nations, Vol. 3: Clash of Cultures - The People Who Met Columbus
1994
Hosted by Kevin Costner and narrated by Gregory Harrison, the historical documentary 500 Nations, Vol. 3: Clash of Cultures - The People Who Met Columbus is part of an...
Ancient America: Nomads of the West
1994
Before the invasion of the white man, the West was a grand, varied village consisting of many tribes and cultures. Ancient America travels back in time to explore the lifestyles...
Ancient America: Eastern Woodlands
1994
Wes Studi narrates this voyage into the mysteries of the ancient Indian cultures of the Eastern Woodlands. Examine the shapes seen at the Effigy Mounds. The animal and bird...
Street Fighter
PG13 1994
Based on the popular video game Street Fighter II, Street Fighter stars Jean-Claude Van Damme as Col. Guile, the cocky but brave leader of an Allied Nations fighting force....
Ancient America: Northwest
1994
In this installment of Ancient America, the grand civilization of America's Northwestern Indians is revealed in this narrative by Wes Studie. The enduring contributions made...
Ancient America: Southwest
1994
The Southwest appears mysterious and looming in the one-hour presentation Ancient America: The Southwest. The film travels through the canyons and mesas of the majestic region...