Studi-ous actor gets Dreamspeakers recognition

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When the movie-going public sees Wes Studi in films like Last of the Mohicans and Dances With Wolves they see a hardness in his eyes. But a few weeks ago, the public saw Studi's eyes up-close, and they were laughing.

Studi was recently chosen as the honored retrospect guest at the seventh annual Dreamspeakers Festival held in Edmonton.

Studi is best-known for his role as Magua in Last of the Mohicans with Daniel Day-Lewis and the lead in Geronimo.

His latest project though these days is his band. They've been together about three years. In 1997 their music appeared in a short film that Studi directed for a friend. He says they finished recording a full length album about six weeks ago and are currently looking for a distributor.

On the acting front, Studi stars in two independent films that have not been released yet: Sound Man and Wind River with Russell Means.

His acting career is just getting underway.

Studi got his start in acting in community theatre in the early 1980s in Tulsa, Oklahoma. From there Studi moved into educational films where the money was better.

"I found it hard to go back to theatre after that," said a remorseless Studi. "It's a real step up from dinner theatre and getting paid something like $12 a performance and all-you-can-eat."

He made the move to Los Angeles in the mid 1980s.

His first film acting role came in a television film called Long Arm.

"Almost the only qualifications I had to have for that particular role was that I was able to ride a horse, shoot a gun at the same time and speak a language other than English," Studi said.

He then appeared in the critically-acclaimed Pow Wow Highway withDreamspeakers retrospect alumni Gary Farmer.

From there, things started to turn around for the now 51-year-old Cherokee from north eastern Oklahoma who used to train horses and teach Cherokee language to Universitystudents before taking up acting.

Soon, Studi was getting roles where he wasn't portraying an Indian.

Performing in Street Fighter with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia was a memorable experience for the actor. Studi said the great thing about that film was working with Julia.

"I'd always looked up to him. He was an inspiration. I really liked the way he did his work," said Studi.

Although Studi admits that playing Native characters are his bread and butter, he has not decided if he likes playing Native or non-ethnic specific characters.

Regardless, Studi said there will always be a place in the movies for talented people of all races.

"Film should mirror the diversity of society. In order to do that, we as Natives, have to fit into the picture too. That hasn't been happening lately and we as Native people have to work on that."

Studi is the first American to be honored with the Dreamspeakers retrospect for his work. Studi said he would like the award to open up more partnerships between Canadian and American Indians.