Beach to begin managing program in fall

Times are changing for Adam Beach. After wrapping up a stint on NBC's Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, he's looking for a new challenge.
Beach's character, detective Chester Blake was written out of the script after only one season.
The only thing was, Beach was supposed to have been a regular character in the show.
To most actors, being dropped from a major television series would have been a crushing blow. But not for Adam, he's actually relieved. There wasn't much room for creativity.
"It's harder to work in television because your power in creativity isn't yours," said Beach. "You have to follow what the writers write and don't have authority in your character's development. That is developed for you."
"I prefer film because I have a choice. I make a decision and it sticks whereas in television, Law and Order has a winning format and you can't mess with that."
Most actors would love a regular gig in television. It's a 9-to-5 job. If you're an actor, that's almost unheard of. It's steady, and along with going home at a reasonable hour it makes it a desired position.
But it wasn't for Adam Beach.
And his uncle, Winnipeg musician and playwright Chris Beach understands that, and more importantly it doesn't surprise him.
"He's never been a nine to five type of guy, that's never been a strength of his," said Beach. "He's a free spirit and for him any type of structure bothers him."
He ought to know as he raised Adam following the death of his mother and father.
Chris is actually his uncle and taught him what he needed to know during a difficult time.
Humility planted its seed early in Beach as he grew up in Winnipeg's North End, one of the roughest neighborhoods in Canada and home to the vast majority of Native people residing in Winnipeg. But that hasn't kept his career from soaring.
Beach just missed an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Ira Hayes in Flags of our Fathers. His first big screen hit, Windtalkers where he co-starred with Nicolas Cage launched his movie career, but even that doesn't faze him.
"It's just a part of the process of acting."
"He's probably the best listener I've ever worked with," said Beach of his work with Cage. "That's what makes him a powerful performer."
"Once in a while I'm shocked at where my life is," said Beach. "I'm really amazed sometimes but I don't allow myself to let my ego blow out of proportion because there are a lot of experiences I have that will always keep me humble."
Even today, living life as a successful actor doesn't stop him from feeling the effects of having family. One uncle is bedridden, another cousin has gone to jail and there are always those who want to take advantage of him.
But he just keeps going.
"I'll never forget those things," said Beach. "No one can ever take those experiences from me. Our history, my history and culture, I just focus on positive things that are happening."
Beach is a hard worker, spending time every day working on his craft. His foremost challenge is getting into character and giving an honest impression of who he is through his acting. "I feel responsible to give the best perception of who we are as a people through my acting," said Beach. "It takes years to allow yourself to expose your inner fears and let the character take it and perform it. You sacrifice so much of who you are when you get into character but it's what I do."
In Flags of our Fathers, he paid a price for doing that.
The constant portrayal of being in pain and agony took its toll emotionally.
"It was one of the toughest characters I ever played," said Beach. "Ira Hayes was that quintessential being in a nation that was at war, through the horrors of it and we're a part of that. Our people have been a part of society and always have been."
The flipside to that coin was working with Clint Eastwood.
"He basically teaches you to be honest with your performance," said Beach. "He showed me trust that I was good at what I did. He never changed anything, for someone with such power it's amazing that he allows his actors to breathe and act like that."
Beach said the greatest thing about his work with Eastwood was the doors that opened for him in Hollywood.
"I've gotten the respect of major players now, and now I get respect from everybody," said Beach.
Professionally, Beach is taking another direction. Life is about change after all.
His partner, Summer, is expecting a child. He's taking on a new project now and he's excited. An Internet cable company expected to launch in the fall has asked him to manage an all Native American content program on the new network.
He's going ahead with that project in the fall. While it isn't Hollywood per se, it is a chance to share who Aboriginal people are to a world wide audience. And that's just fine with him.