Irene Bedard
Irene Bedard | |
---|---|
![]() Bedard at a pow wow in Livingston, Texas, June 2007. | |
Born | Anchorage, Alaska, U.S. | July 22, 1967
Occupation | Actress |
Years active | 1994–present |
Notable work | Voice of Pocahontas in Disney's Pocahontas (1995–present), Suzy Song in Smoke Signals, Margaret in Into the West |
Spouse |
Deni Wilson
(m. 1993; div. 2012) |
Children | 1 |
Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress who has played many Native American characters in a variety of films. She is perhaps best known for the role of Suzy Song in the film adaptation of Sherman Alexie's Smoke Signals as well as for providing the voice of the title character in the animated film Pocahontas.
In 2012, she started "Sleeping Lady Films" and "Waking Giants Productions" with Canadian businessman Thom Denomme. The production companies, based out of Anchorage and Santa Fe, New Mexico, are dedicated to bringing stories that are both positive and inspirational from Indian Country to the world.[citation needed]
Early life and career
Bedard was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and is of Inupiat, Yupik, Inuit, Cree and Métis ancestry. Her first role was as Mary Crow Dog in the television production, Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, which depicted the 1970s standoff between police and Native Americans, many of the Pine Ridge Reservation, at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. She is probably best known as the voice of the eponymous heroine in the Disney animated film Pocahontas and its direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. Bedard was also the physical model for the character. She appeared in a different take of the story in Terence Malick's 2005 film The New World, as Pocahontas's mother, Nonoma Winanuske Matatiske. Bedard attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she studied Musical Theatre. In 2005, she was cast in the television mini-series Into the West, portraying the half-Lakota, half-white adult Margaret "Light Shines" Wheeler.[citation needed] In the 2017 music video for "Family Feud" (a song by Jay-Z), she plays a Co-President of the United States in the future.[2][3]
She was chosen in 1995 as one of People magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People'.[4]
Personal life
Bedard married singer Deni Wilson in 1993. They have a son, Quinn Wilson born in 2003. In November 2010, it was revealed that Bedard was being sexually and physically abused by Wilson throughout their marriage, taking her earnings and forbidding her to work in her career field, unless he specifically approved the project, said her niece Alia Davis. The couple eventually divorced in 2012.[5]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1995 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Nominated |
Western Heritage Awards | Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film | Won | ||
1999 | Two for Texas | Won | ||
2004 | American Indian LA Film and TV Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film | Greasewood Flat | Won |
2006 | NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Dramatic Performance | Into The West | Won |
Western Heritage Awards | Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film | Won |
Filmography
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1994 | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Mary Crow Dog | TV movie |
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale | Nakooma | ||
1995 | The Marshal | Melissa Carey | 1 episode: "Twoslip" |
Pocahontas | Pocahontas (voice) | ||
1996 | Grand Avenue | Reyna | TV movies |
Crazy Horse | Black Buffalo Woman | ||
Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Morning Light and Sharp Eyes / Chief's Daughter (voice) | 2 episodes: "Honesty" and "Perseverance" | |
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest | Alice Starseer | 2 episodes: "Return of the Anasazi"; "Trouble on the Colorado" | |
Navajo Blues | Audrey Wyako | ||
1997 | Song of Hiawatha | Minnehaha | |
Profiler | Maddy Duvall | 1 episode: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" | |
Det store flip | Oglala | AKA, Wild Flowers | |
True Women | Tobe | TV movie | |
1998 | 6/29 | Laura Cooper | |
Naturally Native | Tanya Lewis | ||
Smoke Signals | Suzy Song | ||
Two for Texas | Sana | TV movie | |
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Pocahontas (voice) | Direct-to-video | |
12 Bucks | Babe | ||
1999 | Blood Money | Naomi Lister | TV movie |
Wildflowers | Ruby | ||
Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles | General Miriam Redwing (voice) | 4 episodes (1999–2001) | |
2000 | Pussykat | ||
The Lost Child | Grace | TV movie | |
2001 | Your Guardian | Katherine 'Kat' Damon | |
The Outer Limits | Callie Whitehorse Landau | 1 episode: "In the Blood" | |
The Agency | Diah Siagian | 1 episode: "The Year of Living Dangerously" | |
2003 | Paris | Sandy | |
Greasewood Flat | Abbey | ||
Edge of America | Annie Shorty | TV movie | |
2004 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Cody Long (voice) | 1 episode: "New Mexico, Old Monster" |
2005 | Planting Melvin | Billie Lawrence | |
Higglytown Heroes | Forest Ranger Hero (voice) | 1 episode: "Fran Takes a Hike/Mystery at Kip's House" | |
Into the West | Margaret Light Shines | 4 episodes: "Hell on Wheels"; "Casualties of War"; "Ghost Dance" | |
Miracle at Sage Creek | Sunny | ||
Love's Long Journey | Miriam Red Hawk McClain | TV movie | |
The New World | Pocahontas's Mother (Nonoma) | ||
2007 | Cosmic Radio | K.C. | |
Tortilla Heaven | Liberata | ||
The Red Chalk | Eve | ||
2008 | Turok: Son of Stone | Catori (voice) | Direct-to-video |
The Spectacular Spider-Man | Jean DeWolff (voice) | 4 episodes (2008–2009) | |
2011 | The Tree of Life | Messenger | |
Timberwolf | Eleni | Pre-Production | |
2012 | Young Justice: Invasion | Shelly Longshadow (voice) | 1 episode |
2012-2015 | Longmire | May Stillwater | 3 episodes |
2013 | Vertical | Lucy Mills | |
2014 | Ron and Laura Take Back America | Mrs. Alma | |
2015 | Songs My Brothers Taught Me | Lisa Winters | |
2017 | The Mist | Kimi Lucero | Recurring (9 episodes) |
Spreading Darkness | Marci Gippolin | ||
2018 | Family Feud | Co-President of the United States | Music video |
Westworld | Wichapi | 1 episode: "Kiksuya" | |
Ralph Breaks the Internet | Pocahontas (voice) | In production | |
The Bygone | Ms. Call | In production |
References
- ^ Witt students, experts seek to understand Native American history Retrieved 2018-05-23.
- ^ Meagan Fredette. "Celebrities in Jay Z Family Feud Video Recap". Refinery29.com. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
- ^ Shannon Carlin. "Who Plays Female President Jay-Z "Family Feud" Native". Refinery29.com. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
- ^ Irene Bedard profile, people.com; accessed May 5, 2015.
- ^ "Irene Bedard Abused". Newspaper Rock. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
External links
- Irene Bedard Biography at who2.com
- Irene Bedard at IMDb
- Irene Bedard at AllMovie
- 1967 births
- Actresses from Anchorage, Alaska
- American film actresses
- American people of Métis descent
- American television actresses
- American voice actresses
- Cree people
- Inuit actresses
- Inupiat people
- Living people
- People from Yellow Springs, Ohio
- University of the Arts (Philadelphia) alumni
- Walt Disney Animation Studios people