Wes Studi is a full-blood Cherokee actor from No Fire Hollow outside Tahlequah, Oklahoma and is the preeminent Native American actor working in film today. Studi has created legendary characters in several Oscar-nominated films, including "Dances with Wolves," "The Last of the Mohicans," "Geronimo: An American Legend," "The New World," and "Avatar." Studi has be equally active in television, creating memorable roles on NBC's "Kings" and AMC's "Hell on Wheels." And, he starred in the independent film "The Dome of Heaven," which played deadCENTER in 2012.
Early in his life, Wes Studi taught Cherokee language classes and started a Cherokee language newspaper. He now serves as Honorary Chair of the Indigenous Language Institute in Santa Fe. In 2013, Wes Studi was inducted to the Hall of Great Western Performers. Wes Studi is an American legend and we are thrilled to include him in this year's class of Oklahoma Film ICONS.