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He is best known for his roles as Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr. Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Chester Lake in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Officer Jim Chee in the film adaptions of Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits, and A Thief of Time.
Early life
Born in Ashern, Manitoba, Adam Beach grew up with his two brothers on the Dog Creek First Nations Reserve at Lake Manitoba. When he was eight, his mother, Sally Beach, who was eight months pregnant with a girl, was killed by a drunk driver.[1] She could have been saved, but the ambulance refused to come to the reserve. Eight weeks after her death, his alcoholic father, Dennis Beach, drowned. Since he was drunk at the time, it is unclear whether his death was an accident, or if he committed suicide. Beach and his two brothers initially went to live with their grandmother, who had spent her own childhood in one of the infamous Indian residential schools. He lived with his grandmother from age 8 to 12. Five years after their parents' deaths, the three brothers were taken to Winnipeg to live with an aunt and uncle; Agnes and Chris Beach (his father's brother). He refers to his uncle Chris as "dad".[2]
Beach attended a drama class at Gordon Bell High School. He began performing in local theatre productions, and eventually dropped out of school to take a lead role at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People.[citation needed]
Career
At age 18, Beach won a small role in the miniseries Lost in the Barrens, based on the Farley Mowat novel. In the following years, he continued to work in local theatre and guest-starred on television shows like Walker, Texas Ranger and Touched by an Angel. Shortly afterwards, Beach was cast as a regular on the television shows North of 60 and The Rez.
After his performance in Dance Me Outside he starred in Smoke Signals, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.[1] He took a small role in Disney's Mystery, Alaska in 1999 and in 2000 accepted a role in the thriller, The Last Stop. Beach then appeared in The Art of Woo and the 2001 hit Joe Dirt as Kicking Wing, a Native American fireworks salesman.
In 2002, Windtalkers, starring Beach, came out in theatres. To prepare for this role, Beach spent six months learning the Navajo language. He was also able to use this skill in his next project, Skinwalkers, directed by Chris Eyre, who gave him his breakout role in Smoke Signals.
Between large-scale projects, Beach made small television appearances on such shows as JAG and Third Watch. Also, in 2003, he returned to the character that he first portrayed in Skinwalkers in the movie Coyote Waits. He also made a guest appearance in the hit show The Dead Zone as a Native shaman (in the episode "Shaman").
In 2006, Beach portrayed Ira Hayes in Clint Eastwood's feature film Flags of Our Fathers. During the filming of this movie, both Beach's grandmother and his best friend died. Beach commented, "And if you add those up, there's a lot of emotion. When you're doing a movie, when you let go emotionally, there's nothing to grab onto," he said about the deaths.[3] About playing the part, Beach said, "For me, playing Ira was a meaningful relationship. I would call it – trying to find out how he was, or how he thought and felt".[3] The movie won two Academy Award nominations and Beach was nominated for multiple Best Supporting Actor honors.[4]
In 2007, Beach starred in HBO Films' adaptation of Dee Brown's history, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. In the film, Beach portrays theSioux advocate, author and medical doctor Charles Eastman (Dakota name, Ohiyesa) and his changing understanding of Aboriginal-US relations during the period leading up to the Wounded Knee Massacre.
In addition to starring in the Canadian television series Moose TV, Beach is executive-producing and starring in the movie Older Than America, the independent feature filmed in Cloquet, Minnesota mostly on the Fond du Lac Ojibwe reservation. He also joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Chester Lake for the show's ninth season after guest-starring in season eight.[5] However, in April 2008, TV Guide announced that he[6] would not return for the show's tenth season.[7]
In 2006, Beach unsuccessfully attempted to run for the leadership of his Lake Manitoba First Nation, but has stated he will try again during the next election.[8]
Starting in 2009, Beach plays a supporting role on the HBO series, Big Love as a manager in an Indian casino with Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton).
Personal life
Beach has two sons, Luke and Noah, with his first wife Meredith Porter.[9] He also has one daughter, Phoenix Beach, born October 2008.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | American Indian Film Festival | Best Actor | Dance Me Outside | Won |
| First American in the Arts Awards | Best Actor | My Indian Summer | Won | |
| 1998 | San Diego World Film Festival | Best Actor | Smoke Signals | Won |
| 2006 | Broadcast Film Critics Association | Best Supporting Actor | Flags of Our Fathers | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | Best Supporting Actor | Nominated | ||
| 2007 | American Indian Film Festival | Best Actor | Luna: Spirit of the Whale | Nominated |
| 2008 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actor — Mini-Series or Television Film | Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee | Nominated |
| Image Awards | Outstanding Actor | Nominated |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Lost in the Barrens | Hunting Party Member | |
| 1993 | Spirit Rider | Paul LeBlanc | |
| 1994 | Squanto: A Warrior's Tale | Squanto | Patuxet |
| 1995 | A Boy Called Hate | Billy Little Plume | |
| Dance Me Outside | Frank Fencepost | Ojibwa | |
| My Indian Summer | Ben | ||
| 1996 | The Rez | Charlie | Ojibwa |
| Coyote Summer | Rafe Acuna | ||
| 1997 | Song of Hiawatha | Chibiabos | Seneca |
| 1998 | Smoke Signals | Victor Joseph | Spokane |
| 1999 | Mystery, Alaska | Galin Winetka | |
| 2000 | The Last Stop | Jason | |
| 2001 | Joe Dirt | Kicking Wing | |
| Now & Forever | John Myron | Cree | |
| The Art of Woo | Ben Crowchild | ||
| 2002 | Windtalkers | Private Ben Yazzie | Navajo |
| Skinwalkers | Officer Jim Chee | Navajo | |
| Posers | Sinclair | ||
| 2003 | Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story | John Joseph Harper | Oji-Cree |
| The Big Empty | Randy | ||
| Coyote Waits | Officer Jim Chee | Navajo | |
| 2004 | A Thief of Time | Officer Jim Chee | Navajo |
| Sawtooth | Jim | ||
| 2005 | Johnny Tootall | Johnny Tootall | Nuu-chah-nulth |
| Four Brothers | Chief | uncredited | |
| 2006 | Flags of Our Fathers | Ira Hayes | Pima |
| 2007 | Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee | Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) | Sioux |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Det. Chester Lake | Mohawk | |
| Moose TV | George Keeshig | Cree | |
| Luna: Spirit of the Whale | Mike Maquinna | Mowachaht-Muchalaht | |
| 2008 | Comanche Moon | Blue Duck | Comanche |
| Turok: Son of Stone | Turok (voice) | ||
| Older than America | Johnny | Ojibwa | |
| Help | Max | ||
| Wapos Bay: The Series | Himself (voice) | ||
| 2009 | Warrior | Sgt. Major Duke Wayne | |
| 2010 | Big Love | Tommy Flute | Blackfoot |
| The Stranger | Mason | ||
| Hawaii Five-0 | Navy Seal Graham | Guest Star |
Posted in: Canadian actors
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