Frank Salsedo
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Frank Sotonoma "Grey Wolf" Salsedo (May 20, 1929 – July 3, 2009) was a Native American actor. He was often cast in smaller parts centered on his Native American heritage. As an actor, Salsedo has performed in movies such as '' The Ghost Dance'', released in 1980 in which he played Ocacio, ''
Magic in the Water ''Magic in the Water'' is a 1995 American family film directed by Rick Stevenson and starring Mark Harmon, Joshua Jackson and Sarah Wayne. It is about a fictional lake monster in British Columbia. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures and pr ...
'' (1995) playing Uncle Kipper, '' Across the Great Divide'' (1976) in which he played Mosa, ''
Creepshow 2 ''Creepshow 2'' is a 1987 American comedy horror anthology film directed by Michael Gornick, and the sequel to ''Creepshow''. Gornick was previously the cinematographer of the first film, and the screenplay was written by George A. Romero who was ...
'' (1987) in which he played Ben Whitemoon (segment: Old Chief Wood'nhead), ''
Journey to Spirit Island ''Journey to Spirit Island'' is a 1988 U.S. Emmy Award-winning family adventure film directed by Lásló Pal, produced by Bruce Clark, with a screenplay by Crane Webster from a story by Lásló Pal and Crane Webster. It stars Bettina Bush, Brando ...
'' (1988) as Hoots and ''
Best of the Best 2 ''Best of the Best II'' is a 1993 martial arts film directed by Robert Radler, and starring Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee. It is the first sequel to the 1989 film ''Best of the Best''. The plot follows four of the characters from the original ...
'' (1993) in which he played Charlie.


Early life and education

Frank Sotonoma SalsedoFrank Salsedo biography at ''The New York Times''
/ref>Frank Salsedo Overview at Turner Classic Movies
/ref> was born on May 20, 1929 in
Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa (Spanish language, Spanish for "Rose of Lima, Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, California, Sonoma County, in the North Bay (San Francisco Bay Area), North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area ...
to Gilbert and Helen Salsedo. He had five brothers (Delano, Lovedale Richard, Gilbert, Hal and Kenny) and six sisters (Helen Rose, Jane, Lola, Gertrude, Vera and Donna). He graduated from the
Sherman Institute Sherman Indian High School (SIHS) is an off-reservation boarding high school for Native Americans. Originally opened in 1892 as the Perris Indian School, in Perris, California, the school was relocated to Riverside, California in 1903, under the n ...
and then enlisted in the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. After his discharge he became a CPA and graduated from Sawyer's Business College.


Career

Salsedo was the President of
Jay Silverheels Jay Silverheels (born Harold Jay Smith; May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was an Indigenous Canadian actor and athlete. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the Native American companion of the Lone Ranger in the American Western television ...
Acting School in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
, where he found his dream job as an actor. As a member of the
Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
he made over 50 movies and helped other Native Americans in the
film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...
. He portrayed the role of White Bird in the 1975 television movie, ''
I Will Fight No More Forever ''I Will Fight No More Forever'' is a 1975 made-for-television Western film starring James Whitmore as General Oliver O. Howard and Ned Romero as Chief Joseph. It is a dramatization of Chief Joseph's resistance to the U.S. government's forcibl ...
''. Salsedo appeared in one episode of the short-lived 1977 series, ''
Code R ''Code R'' is an American action-adventure television series that aired on CBS from January 21 to June 10, 1977. ''Code R'' focuses on the emergency services (police, fire, and ocean rescue) of the California Channel Islands. The series starred ...
''. One of his earliest roles in film was as Ocacio in ''The Ghost Dance'' (1980). Salsedo played Charlie in ''
Best of the Best 2 ''Best of the Best II'' is a 1993 martial arts film directed by Robert Radler, and starring Eric Roberts and Phillip Rhee. It is the first sequel to the 1989 film ''Best of the Best''. The plot follows four of the characters from the original ...
'' (1993). In 1995, Salsedo played Uncle Kipper in ''
Magic in the Water ''Magic in the Water'' is a 1995 American family film directed by Rick Stevenson and starring Mark Harmon, Joshua Jackson and Sarah Wayne. It is about a fictional lake monster in British Columbia. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures and pr ...
''. The next year, he portrayed Nakki in ''
North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...
'' (1996), opposite
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
. In 1998, he appeared alongside
Chris Farley Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. Farley was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the ...
and
Matthew Perry Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is an American-Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004). As well as starring in the short-lived television series ''Stud ...
in ''
Almost Heroes ''Almost Heroes'' is a 1998 American adventure comedy Western film directed by Christopher Guest, narrated by Guest's friend and frequent collaborator Harry Shearer, and starring Chris Farley and Matthew Perry. It was Farley's last leading film ...
''. He appeared in six episodes of ''
Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film ''Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the Texa ...
''.


Personal life and death

Salsedo was the hereditary
chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...
of the
Wappo The Wappo (endonym: ''Micewal'') are an indigenous people of northern California. Their traditional homelands are in Napa Valley, the south shore of Clear Lake, Alexander Valley, and Russian River valley. They are distantly related to the Yuki ...
tribe of
Sonoma County, California Sonoma County () is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa, California, Santa Rosa. It is to the n ...
. At the time of his death, Salsedo, along with the Mishewal Wappo Tribe, was involved in a federal recognition lawsuit. Salsedo was married to Leta Stephens and they had two daughters, Lynette and Eugenia, and two sons, Ramon and Rick. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Delano, his sister Helen Rose Hageman and his wife. In addition to his alias, "Grey Wolf", Salsedo also had an additional nickname, "Beverly Hills". Salsedo died on July 3, 2009 in
Manteca, California Manteca (Spanish for "lard") is a city in San Joaquin County, California. The city had a population of 83,498 as of the 2020 census. History Manteca is a city in the Central Valley of California, located east of San Francisco. It was fou ...
at the age of 80. He is survived by: his sisters Jane Couey, Lola Garcia, Gertrude Merrifield, Vera Guillory, Donna Walters; brothers Lovedale Richard, Gilbert, Hal, and Kenny Salsedo; children Lynnette Holmes, Ramon, Rick, and Eugenia Salsedo; grandchildren Mario Reno, Jasmine and Ryan Salsedo, Nicholas Noah; great-grandchildren Kailynn and Quinn Reno; nieces, nephews, and cousins.


Filmography


Film


Television


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salsedo, Frank 2009 deaths 1929 births Native American male actors American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Wappo