Michael Greyeyes

Michael Greyeyes (born June 4, 1967) (Muskeg Lake Cree Nation) is an Indigenous Canadian actor, dancer, choreographer, director, and educator.

In 1996, Greyeyes portrayed Crazy Horse in the television film ''Crazy Horse''. In 2018, Greyeyes portrayed Sitting Bull in ''Woman Walks Ahead'' to critical acclaim. He has also had TV roles on '' Fear the Walking Dead'', ''True Detective'' and ''I Know This Much Is True''. In 2021–2022, he had a main role in the sitcom ''Rutherford Falls''. He won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, for his performance in the zombie film ''Blood Quantum''.

Life and career

Born in Saskatchewan, Greyeyes is Plains Cree from the Muskeg Lake First Nation. His father was from the Muskeg Lake First Nation and his mother was from the Sweetgrass First Nation, both located in Saskatchewan. Greyeyes started his performance career as a dancer. He is a graduate of The National Ballet School in 1984. He became an apprentice with The National Ballet of Canada before joining the company as a Corps de Ballet member in 1987.

After three years, he moved to New York City in 1990 to join the company of modern dance choreographer Eliot Feld. Greyeyes performed in many of Feld's seminal works, including ''Intermezzo'', ''Skara Brae'', and ''The Jig is Up''. He performed in roles created for him in such ballets as ''Common Ground'' and ''Bloom's Wake''. After years of also working as an actor, Greyeyes later completed his master's degree in Fine Arts at the School of Theatre and Dance at Kent State University and graduated in May 2003.

Greyeyes began his acting career in 1993, when he was cast as Juh in TNT's ''Geronimo''. This role led to numerous television appearances, including guest-starring performances in ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'', ''Walker, Texas Ranger'', ''Numb3rs'', ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'', and Millennium''. In 1998 he starred in '' Stolen Women, Captured Hearts'', with Janine Turner and Patrick Bergen. He is featured in the mini-series ''Klondike'', ''Dreamkeeper'', ''Rough Riders'', ''Big Bear'', and ''True Women''.

His films include: ''Dance Me Outside'', ''Smoke Signals'', ''Sunshine State'', ''Skipped Parts'', '' Skinwalkers'' (based on the book by Tony Hillerman), and ''Woman Walks Ahead'' (2017), in which he played Chief Sitting Bull opposite Jessica Chastain as a portrait painter.

Greyeyes also continued his dance research on the modern form of traditional dancing, Powwow. His journey of exploration was documented in ''He Who Dreams: Michael on the Powwow Trail'' for CBC Television by Adrienne Clarkson. He choreographed and performed in Rebecca Belmore's durational performance art work ''Gone Indian'' for Toronto's ''Nuit Blanche''.

Greyeyes continues to act and dance regularly. His more recent works include ''The New World'' directed by Terrence Malick, ''Tecumseh's Vision'', a PBS documentary/live action drama, and ''Passchendaele'', which opened the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival. ''Triptych'' (a short film broadcast nationally on Bravo! Television), and

''Untitled #1535'' is a site-specific dance work he choreographed for Dusk Dances. ''The Journey'' (''Pimooteewin'') is an opera he directed with music by Melissa Hui and libretto by Tomson Highway.

He did the voice of Tommy in the action game ''Prey''. He played a recurring role on '' Fear The Walking Dead'' (2017).

In 2010, Greyeyes founded Signal Theatre, a company that explores intercultural and transdisciplinary live performance. As Artistic Director and choreographer, he has overseen the creation of three major works, including ''From thine eyes'' (Harbourfront Centre), ''Nôhkom'' (The Banff Centre), and ''A Soldier's Tale'' (Fleck Dance Theatre), a work examining the aftermath of war upon soldiers and their families. He has said that he "was not interested in staging ethnicity." ''A Soldier's Tale'' was co-produced by The National Arts Centre and The Canada Dance Festival and opened the 2014 Canada Dance Festival in Ottawa at the NAC Theatre. Signal Theater has also produced installations and performance art works, such as ''Winter Home'', which premiered in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Greyeyes won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021, for his performance in the zombie film ''Blood Quantum''.Zach Harper
"'Schitt's Creek' and 'Kim's Convenience' win big at 2021 Canadian Screen Awards"
''Hello! Canada'', May 21, 2021. He has played the main role of Terry Thomas, CEO of a fictional tribe's casino on the Peacock TV series ''Rutherford Falls'' (2021-2022).

In 2021 Greyeyes was signed to a first look deal with Blumhouse Productions. Greyeyes appears as John Rainbird in the 2022 film '' Firestarter'', based on the Stephen King novel of the same name.

Personal life

Greyeyes is an Associate Professor of Theatre at York University. He is married to Nancy Latoszewski. They have two daughters, Lilia and Eva, born in 2002 and 2004.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Greyeyes, Michael
1967 births
First Nations male actors
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male television actors
Canadian male voice actors
Cree people
Kent State University alumni
Living people
Male actors from Saskatchewan
Best Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners