Gerald Auger (born March 20, 1978) is a Canadian actor, producer, writer, entrepreneur and motivational speaker of
Woodland Cree
The ''Saāwithiniwak'' or Woodland Cree, are a Cree people, calling themselves Nîhithaw in their own dialect of the language. They are the largest indigenous group in northern Alberta and are an Algonquian people. Prior to the 18th century, t ...
descent. He graduated from
Grande Prairie Regional College
Northwestern Polytechnic (NWP), formerly known as Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) is a community college in northwestern Alberta, Canada. The college's main campus is located in Grande Prairie, with a secondary campus in Fairview, and ma ...
in 1995 with a Marketing Management diploma and a Small Business Management certificate. He also became president of the campus’ Student Association, president of the Student Society for
Alberta Vocational College and the Circle of Aboriginal Students, and received the Charles S. Noble Student Leadership Award from the Department of Advanced Education and the Province of Alberta.
In 1996 and 1997 Auger was awarded the National Native Role Model by the
Governor General of Canada
The governor general of Canada (french: gouverneure générale du Canada) is the federal viceregal representative of the . The is head of state of Canada and the 14 other Commonwealth realms, but resides in oldest and most populous realm, ...
and spent the next two years visiting more than 30 communities across Canada, inspiring his aboriginal peers, relating stories about his experiences and bonding with locals through cultural events and ceremonies. Auger is the first aboriginal recipient of the Rotary International Integrity Award for the Avenue of Nations in Alberta.
After being spotted at the opening ceremonies of the 1995
Canada Winter Games
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...
, Auger was given a supporting role in the 1998 film ''
Il mio West'' (later dubbed ''Gunslinger’s Revenge''), also starring
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
and
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor. He is known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He first rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running association with ...
. Filmed in Italy for Pacific Pictures, it was the first
Spaghetti Western to use
First Nations
First Nations or first peoples may refer to:
* Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area.
Indigenous groups
*First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including:
**First Natio ...
actors in aboriginal roles.
In 1999 Auger became the first aboriginal recipient of the Rotary International Integrity Award for the Avenue of Nations in Alberta.
Auger had a lead role in the 2002
National Geographic IMAX-production ''
Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West'', and the next year he played Crow Hunter in an episode of the four-part
Hallmark Entertainment
Halcyon Studios, LLC., formerly known as Sonar Entertainment, RHI Entertainment, Hallmark Entertainment, Qintex Entertainment, HRI Group and Robert Halmi Inc., is an American entertainment company specializing in the production and distribution ...
TV miniseries ''
Dreamkeeper
''Dreamkeeper'' is a 2003 film written by John Fusco and directed by Steve Barron. The main plot of the film is the conflict between a Lakota elder and storyteller named Pete Chasing Horse (August Schellenberg) and his Lakota grandson, Shane Chas ...
''.
In 2005 Auger had the supporting lead of ''Soaring Eagle'' in the first episode of the
Steven Spielberg’s
DreamWorks DreamWorks may refer to:
* DreamWorks Pictures, an American film production company of Amblin
** DreamWorks Television, an American television production company and division of the film studio
** DreamWorks Records, an American record label and f ...
-produced six-part miniseries ''
Into the West''; in 2006 he completed the film ''Klatsassin'' with
Stan Douglas; and in 2007 he was cast as ''Chief Ambrose McQuinna'' in the CTV-produced ''Luna: Spirit of the Whale'' with
Adam Beach,
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
,
Tantoo Cardinal
Tantoo Cardinal CM (born Rose Marie Cardinal; July 20, 1950) is a Canadian actress of Cree and Métis heritage. In 2009, she was made a member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing ...
and
Jason Priestley
Jason Bradford Priestley (born August 28, 1969) is a Canadian actor and television director. He is best known as the virtuous Brandon Walsh on the television series ''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (1990–1998, 2000), as Richard "Fitz" Fitzpatrick in t ...
of
Beverly Hills, 90210
''Beverly Hills, 90210'' (often referred to by its short title, ''90210'') is an American teen drama television series created by Darren Star and produced by Aaron Spelling under his production company Spelling Television. The series ran for ...
.
In addition to being in the opening and closing ceremonies for the
Arctic Winter Games
The Arctic Winter Games is a biennial multi-sport and indigenous cultural event involving circumpolar peoples residing in communities or countries bordering the Arctic Ocean.
Background
The Arctic Winter Games were founded in 1969 under the lea ...
as ''Anook the Rockman'' for ''The Heroes Journey'' in 2010, Auger had a role in the cult classic ''
FUBAR 2
''FUBAR 2'' (also known as ''FUBAR: Balls to the Wall'' or ''FUBAR: Gods of Blunder'') is a 2010 comedy film and the sequel to the 2002 cult film ''FUBAR''. It was released on October 1, 2010 in Canada. It made its world premiere by opening the M ...
'' and played a Native guide and interpreter in ''Western Confidential'' (starring ''
FUBAR
Military slang is a colloquial language used by and associated with members of various military forces. This page lists slang words or phrases that originate with military forces, are used exclusively by military personnel or are strongly associat ...
''’s
Paul Spence
''FUBAR'' is a 2002 Canadian film directed by Michael Dowse and written by Dave Lawrence, Michael Dowse and Paul Spence, following the lives of two lifelong friends and head-bangers, Terry Cahill and Dean Murdoch. ''FUBAR'' debuted at the Sund ...
) as well as a Native policeman in ''The Plateau''.
In 2011 Auger had a cameo on primetime series ''
Blackstone'' and landed the lead role of ''Pawnee Killer'' who represents the Indian resistance in
Entertainment One's historical western drama ''
Hell on Wheels
Hell on Wheels was the itinerant collection of flimsily assembled gambling houses, dance halls, saloons, and brothels that followed the army of Union Pacific railroad workers westward as they constructed the First transcontinental railroad in 186 ...
'', directed by
David Von Ancken
David Henry Von Ancken (December 5, 1964 – July 26, 2021) was an American film, television director and screenwriter.
Career
He directed one feature film, the 2006 Western (genre), Western ''Seraphim Falls'' starring Liam Neeson and Pierce Br ...
and filmed in
Calgary.
Auger produced, wrote and directed the 2007 short film ''Walking Alone'' about the life of rapper Shawn Bernard, and the 2008
National Film Board of Canada
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...
documentary ''Honour Thy Father'' that tells the story of his conflict with the
Anglican Church
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of the ...
(which refused his late father to have a traditional native funeral), and won Best Film Representing Cultural Diversity at the Alberta Motion Picture Industry Awards in 2009.
In 2012 he wrote and produced the series ''The Ancients'' for
Aboriginal Peoples Television Network
The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN, stylized aptn) is a Canadian specialty channel. Established in 1992 and maintained by governmental funding to broadcast in Canada's northern territories, APTN acquired a national broadcast licen ...
and worked on the sequel to his film ''Honour Thy Father—Our Journey Home'', which deals with
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
and Native spirituality in
Indian country. He was also cast in the soon-to-be filmed ''Scattered Leaves: Legend of the Ghostkiller'' and the horror movie ''The Silent Darkness—The Rise of The Witch''.
Auger has been featured in commercials for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in Los Angeles and a South Korean car commercial for Magnus.
As owner and Chief Executing Officer of the business ''Black Eagle Entertainment'', Auger aims to produce films, television series and documentaries aiming to advance the status and expose the stereotyping of his people.
In 2013, Auger worked on his latest film project ''Jesus in the Lodge – The Forgotten Truth of the Wilderness'' where he explored the idea that the
Son of God was the first Sundancer, for he was one of the first men to give his flesh to a tree.
Auger had a busy fall in 2015, with roles in three short films. In October, he flew to
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
to film ''Petersburg. A Selfie'', a collection of seven stories by director Natalia Kudryashova. The theme is Russia’s most beautiful city seen through the perspective of seven women on the concept of love. ''Anichkov Bridge'' is one of the stories in which Auger plays a modern-day Native American with a rock star style, making cinematic history as the first indigenous actor to shoot a film in Russia. In ''Bohemian Blood'', an independent short film he produced for ''The Frightening 48 Hour Film Challenge'', Auger’s role is an indigenous cult leader of murderous artist hookers who use hammers to kill their Johns in a bohemian-style brothel. In December, he will be cast in Australian production ''Lost Face'', a classic story by Jack London that takes place in mid-1800s Russia.
Film
* ''
Il mio West'' (1998) – Native warrior
* ''
Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West'' (2002) – Shoshone chief
* ''Klatsassin'' (2006)
* ''Murder Inc.''
* ''Luna: Spirit of The Whale'' (2007) – Chief Ambrose McQuinna
* ''
FUBAR 2
''FUBAR 2'' (also known as ''FUBAR: Balls to the Wall'' or ''FUBAR: Gods of Blunder'') is a 2010 comedy film and the sequel to the 2002 cult film ''FUBAR''. It was released on October 1, 2010 in Canada. It made its world premiere by opening the M ...
'' (2010)
* ''Alone'' (2010) – Native policeman
* ''The Plateau'' (2010) – Mike Cardinal
* ''Western Confidential'' (2011) – Native guide and interpreter
* ''Anichkov Bridge'' (2015) – Modern-day Native in Russia
Television
* ''Be Aware''
* ''
North of 60''
* ''The Long Walk''
* ''Stories from the 7th Fire''
* ''How the Fiddle Flows'' (2002)
* ''
Dreamkeeper
''Dreamkeeper'' is a 2003 film written by John Fusco and directed by Steve Barron. The main plot of the film is the conflict between a Lakota elder and storyteller named Pete Chasing Horse (August Schellenberg) and his Lakota grandson, Shane Chas ...
'' (2003) – Crow Hunter
* ''
Into the West'' (2005) – Soaring Eagle
* ''
Blackstone'' (2011) – Dan Brown
* ''
Hell on Wheels
Hell on Wheels was the itinerant collection of flimsily assembled gambling houses, dance halls, saloons, and brothels that followed the army of Union Pacific railroad workers westward as they constructed the First transcontinental railroad in 186 ...
'' (2011, 2012) – Cheyenne Brave Pawnee Killer
Video Short
* ''Higher Ground'' (2011) – Komonake
Docudrama/Industrial
* ''I Am Alcohol''
* ''Crimestoppers''
* ''I Will Not Cry Alone''
* ''Dream Makers'' (2006)
Voice-over roles
* ''Cree 10/20/30''
* ''Blanket of Silence''
* ''Stories from the 7th Fire''
Theatre
* ''
Canada Winter Games
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...
opening ceremonies'' (1995) – performer
* ''
Canada Winter Games
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by total ...
opening and closing ceremonies'' (2010) – Anook the Rockman
* ''
National Aboriginal Achievement Awards''
Filmmaking
* ''Walking Alone'' (2007) – film
* ''Honour Thy Father'' (2008) – documentary
* ''Jesus in the Lodge – The Forgotten Truth of the Wilderness'' (2013) – documentary
* ''Bohemian Blood'' (2015) – short film
References
External links
*
www.geraldauger.ca
{{DEFAULTSORT:Auger, Gerald
1968 births
Living people
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male television actors
Canadian film producers
First Nations male actors
Male actors from Alberta
First Nations filmmakers
Cree people