Adam Beach

Adam Beach
Beach at the 2015 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1972-11-11) November 11, 1972 Ashern, Manitoba, Canada
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1990–present
Spouses	Meredith Porter ​ ​ (m. 1999; div. 2002)​ Tara Mason ​ ​ (m. 2003; div. 2007)​ Summer Tiger ​ ​ (m. 2015)​
Children	3

Adam Rueben Beach (born November 11, 1972) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Victor Joseph in Smoke Signals; Frank Fencepost in Dance Me Outside; Tommy on Walker, Texas Ranger; Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt; US Marine Corporal Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers; Private Ben Yahzee in Windtalkers; Dr. Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) in Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; NYPD Detective Chester Lake in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; and Officer Jim Chee in the film adaptations of Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits and A Thief of Time. He starred in the Canadian 2012–2014 series Arctic Air and played Slipknot in the 2016 film Suicide Squad. He also performed as Squanto in Disney's historical drama film Squanto: A Warrior's Tale. Most recently he has starred in Hostiles (2017) as Black Hawk and the Netflix original film Juanita (2019) as Jess Gardiner and Edward Nappo in Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog.

Early life

Adam Beach was born in Ashern, Manitoba. He is Saulteaux Anishinaabe and has some Icelandic roots through his great-grandmother. Beach spent his early years with his parents and two brothers on the Lake Manitoba/Dog Creek First Nation Reserve at Lake Manitoba. When Beach was eight years old, his mother, Sally Beach, eight months pregnant with a baby girl, was killed by a drunk driver. Eight weeks after his mother's death, the family discovered their father Dennis Beach had drowned near the community. It is unclear whether his death was an accident or suicide.

Adam and his two brothers initially lived with their grandmother; he was with her from age 8 to 12. Five years after their parents' deaths, the three brothers were taken to Winnipeg to live with an aunt and paternal uncle: Agnes and Chris Beach (his father's brother). Adam refers to his Uncle Chris as "Dad".

Beach attended a drama class at Gordon Bell High School. He began performing in local theatre productions and eventually dropped out of school to take a lead role at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People.

Career

Beach has a long list of diverse portrayals. He saw acting as a catharsis and turned to theatre as a venue to express his feelings and tell his own personal stories. At age 18, Beach won a small role in the miniseries Lost in the Barrens, based on the Farley Mowat novel. In the following years, he continued to work in local theatre and guest-starred on television shows such as Walker, Texas Ranger and Touched by an Angel. Shortly afterwards, Beach was cast as a regular on the television shows North of 60 and The Rez. After his performance in Dance Me Outside, he starred in Smoke Signals, which was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He took a small role in Disney's Mystery, Alaska in 1999 and in 2000 accepted a role in the thriller, The Last Stop. Beach appeared in Helen Lee's The Art of Woo and the 2001 hit Joe Dirt as Kickin' Wing, a Native American fireworks salesman. The producers of Joe Dirt had originally wanted to hire Evan Adams for the parody of his character in Smoke Signals, but accidentally called Beach instead.

In 2002, Windtalkers, starring Beach, was released in theatres; it was about Navajo codetalkers working with the US Marines during World War II. To prepare for this role, Beach spent six months learning the Navajo language. He used this language in his next project, Skinwalkers, based on a novel by Tony Hillerman and directed by Chris Eyre, who had given him his break-out role in Smoke Signals. Between large-scale projects, Beach made small television appearances on such shows as JAG and Third Watch. Also, in 2003, he returned to the character that he first portrayed in Skinwalkers in the movie Coyote Waits, also based on a Hillerman novel. He also made a guest appearance in the hit show The Dead Zone as a Native shaman (in the episode "Shaman").

In 2006, Beach portrayed Ira Hayes in Clint Eastwood's feature film Flags of Our Fathers. During the filming of this movie, both Beach's grandmother and his best friend died. Beach commented, "And if you add those up, there's a lot of emotion. When you're doing a movie, when you let go emotionally, there's nothing to grab onto," he said about the deaths. About playing the part, Beach said, "For me, playing Ira was a meaningful relationship. I would call it – trying to find out how he was, or how he thought and felt". The movie won two Academy Award nominations and Beach was nominated for multiple Best Supporting Actor honours.

In 2006, Beach ran as a candidate to lead his Lake Manitoba First Nation; he was not successful but said he will try again. In 2007, Beach starred in HBO Films' adaptation of Dee Brown's history, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. In the film, Beach portrays Charles Eastman (Dakota name Ohiyesa), a doctor, Sioux advocate and author. He explores and expresses the changing understanding of Aboriginal-US relations during the period leading up to the Wounded Knee Massacre.

Beach at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival

In addition to starring in the Canadian television series Moose TV, Beach is executive-producing and starring in the movie Older Than America. The independent feature is filmed in Cloquet, Minnesota, mostly on the Fond du Lac Ojibwe reservation. He joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Chester Lake for the show's ninth season after guest-starring in season eight. In April 2008, TV Guide announced that he would not return for the show's tenth season. He later stated he grew disillusioned with the strictly procedural nature of the show and opted to leave after the finish of the ninth season.

Starting in 2009, Beach played a supporting role on the HBO series Big Love as a manager in an Indian casino with Bill Henrickson (Bill Paxton). On February 10, 2010, it was announced that Beach will portray Tommy Prince, the Canadian war hero, in an upcoming movie about his life. According to Bay Film Studios, the movie will be a "true account of Canada's most highly decorated First Nations soldier." Beach said he is honoured to portray Prince, calling him a positive role model for all First Nations. In 2011, he starred in Cowboys & Aliens, an American science fiction Western film directed by Jon Favreau and starring Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. The film is based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. Also in 2011, Beach returned to Canada to star in the TV series Arctic Air, which premiered on January 12, 2012. In 2015, Beach appeared on several episodes of Backstrom as Sheriff Jesse Rocha. In 2017, he played Black Hawk in Hostiles, starring Christian Bale, Rosamund Pike and Wes Studi.

In 2022 Beach was selected as host of the Canadian chainsaw carving competition show A Cut Above.

Personal life

Adam Beach has been married three times and has three children. He has two sons with his first wife, Meredith Porter (married 1999–2002). He did not have children with his second wife, Tara Mason (married 2003⁠–⁠2007). In 2008, his current wife, Summer Tiger, gave birth to a daughter.

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
1995	American Indian Film Festival	Best Actor	Dance Me Outside	Won
	First American in the Arts Awards	Best Actor	My Indian Summer	Won
1998	San Diego World Film Festival	Best Actor	Smoke Signals	Won
2006	Broadcast Film Critics Association	Best Supporting Actor	Flags of Our Fathers	Nominated
	Satellite Awards	Best Supporting Actor		Nominated
2007	American Indian Film Festival	Best Actor	Luna: Spirit of the Whale	Nominated
2008	Golden Globe Award	Best Actor — Mini-Series or Television Film	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee	Nominated
	Image Awards	Outstanding Actor		Nominated
2012	Indspire Awards	Arts	Himself	Won
2015	Canadian Screen Awards	Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role	Arctic Air	Nominated

Filmography

Films

Year	Title	Role	Tribe	Notes
1993	Cadillac Girls	Will
1994	Squanto: A Warrior's Tale	Squanto	Patuxet
	A Boy Called Hate	Billy Little Plume
1995	Dance Me Outside	Frank Fencepost	Ojibwe (related to Beach's actual Saulteaux heritage)
1996	Coyote Summer	Rafe Acuna
1997	Song of Hiawatha	Chibiabos	Ojibwe (related to Beach's actual Saulteaux heritage)
1998	Smoke Signals	Victor Joseph	Coeur d'Alene
1999	Mystery, Alaska	Galin Winetka
2000	The Last Stop	Jason
2001	Joe Dirt	Kickin' Wing
	Now & Forever	John Myron	Cree
	The Art of Woo	Ben Crowchild
2002	Windtalkers	Private Ben Yazzie	Navajo
	Posers	Sinclair
2003	Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story	John Joseph Harper	Oji-Cree
	The Big Empty	Randy
2004	Sawtooth	Jim
2005	Four Brothers	Chief		Uncredited
2006	Flags of Our Fathers	Ira Hayes	Pima
2007	Luna: Spirit of the Whale	Mike Maquinna	Mowachaht-Muchalaht
2008	Turok: Son of Stone	Turok		Voice role
	Older than America	Johnny	Ojibwe
	Help	Max
2010	The Stranger	Mason
	The Stepson	Josh Anderson		Main role
2011	A Warrior's Heart	Sgt. Major Duke Wayne
	Cowboys & Aliens	Nat Colorado		Supporting role
	Tommy Prince: Prince of the Devils	Tommy Prince
2013	Crook	Bryce
	Ice Soldiers	TC Cardinal
	Into the Grizzly Maze	Johnny Cadillac
2014	A Fighting Man	Fast Eddie
2015	Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser	Kickin' Wing		Cameo
	Diablo	Nakoma
2016	Suicide Squad	Christopher Weiss / Slipknot
2017	Juliana & the Medicine Fish	Mike Reid
	Hostiles	Black Hawk	Cheyenne
2019	Juanita	Jess
2020	Monkey Beach	Uncle Mick
	The New Mutants	William Lonestar	Cheyenne
	Percy	Alton Kelly
2021	The Unhealer	Sheriff Adler
	The Power of the Dog	Edward Nappo
	Swan Song	Dalton
2022	Exile	Ted Evans
	American/Indian	Carl		Pre-production
2023	Hey, Viktor!	Adam
2024	The Birds Who Fear Death	Adam
TBA	Terra Infirma	Max Windrunner		Pre-production
	Coyote Howls	James Hunter		Pre-production
	Hitman	The Hitman		Pre-production

Television

Year	Title	Role	Tribe	Notes
1990	Lost in the Barrens	Hunting Party Member		Television film
1993	Spirit Rider	Paul LeBlanc		Television film
1993–1995	North of 60	Nevada		4 episodes
1995	Walker, Texas Ranger	Tommy Bright Hawk		Episode: "On Sacred Ground"
	CBS Schoolbreak Special	Ben		Episode: "My Indian Summer"
1996	Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years	Red Crow	Lakota	Episode: "Medicine"
	Touched by an Angel	Dillon New Eagle		Episode: "Written in Dust"
	The Rez	Charlie	Ojibwe
1997	Dead Man's Gun	Tom	Nez Perce	Episode: "Medicine Man"
2001	Higher Ground	Aaron Reifel		Episode: "What Remains"
2002	Skinwalkers	Officer Jim Chee	Navajo	Television film
	Bliss	Angel		Episode: "Valentine's Day in Jail"
	The Dead Zone	Shaman		Episode: "Shaman"
2003	Coyote Waits	Officer Jim Chee	Navajo	Television film
	Everwood	Mr. Grey Cloud		Episode: "Unhappy Holidays"
	Third Watch	Christian		2 episodes
2004	A Thief of Time	Officer Jim Chee	Navajo	Television film
	JAG	Marcus Tillco		Episode: "Whole New Ball Game"
2005	Johnny Tootall	Johnny Tootall	Nuu-chah-nulth	Television film
2007	Moose TV	George Keeshig	Cree	8 episodes
	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee	Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa)	Sioux	Television film
2007–2008	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Det. Chester Lake	Mohawk	Main role, 21 episodes
2008	Comanche Moon	Blue Duck	Comanche	3 episodes
	Wapos Bay	Himself		Voice role
2010	Big Love	Tommy Flute	Blackfoot	9 episodes
	Hawaii Five-0	Navy Seal Graham		Episode: "Ho'apono"
2011	Combat Hospital	Joe / Snake Eater		3 episodes
2012–2014	Arctic Air	Bobby Martin		Main role, 35 episodes
2013	Hell on Wheels	Red Bear	Kiowa	Episode: "The Game"
2015	Backstrom	Cooch County Captain Jesse Rocha		3 episodes
2017	Monsters of God	Sees Two Moons		Television film
2019	Drunk History	Richard Oakes		Episode: "National Parks"
	Supernatural	Sheriff Mason		Episode: "Don't Go in the Woods"
2019–2020	Nancy Drew	Chief E.O. McGinnis		7 episodes
2020	The Good Doctor	Billy Carr		Season 4 episode 4: "Not the Same"
2022	A Cut Above	Host
2023	Found	Kai Wagon		Season 1 episode 7: "Missing While Indigenous"
2025	Government Cheese	Rudy		Guest role
TBA	Avatar: The Last Airbender	Chief Hakoda

See also

• Notable Aboriginal people of Canada

External links

• Adam Beach at IMDb
• "Profile at NativeCelebs.com". Archived from the original on September 2, 2008. Retrieved August 25, 2004.
• Profile at Native Networks
• Time.com Q&A
• The Hour interview – Video
• "Adam Beach Filmography". Archived from the original on May 18, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
• "Lake Manitoba First Nation". Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
• "The Canadian Encyclopedia, Adam Beach". Archived from the original on August 9, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)