Wesley "Wes" Studi (born December 17, 1947) is an American Cherokee actor, who has earned notability for his portrayals of Native Americans in film. He has appeared in well-received Academy Award-winning films, such as Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, Michael Mann's The Last of the Mohicans, the award-winning Geronimo: An American Legend and the Academy Award-nominated film The New World (2005). He portrayed General Linus Abner (an analogue to the biblical Abner) in the NBC series Kings, and Eytukan in James Cameron's box office blockbuster Avatar.

Filmography

• 2027Seasons
• 2025Avatar: Fire and Ash — E'ytukan
• 2025The Great Cherokee Grandmother
• 2024The Midway Point — Mr. Williams
• 2023Mending the Line — Harrison
• 2023The Roof — Grandpa / Nick
• 2023We Will Speak — Executive Producer
• 2022A Love Song — Lito
• The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder — Quanah (voice)
• Reservation Dogs — Bucky
• 2020Soul — Counselor Jerry (voice)
• Woke — Spoon (voice)
• 2019A Dog's Way Home — Captain Mica
• 2019Badland — Harlan Red
• Miracle Workers — Chief Sleeping Bear
• 2017Hostiles — Chief Yellow Hawk
• 2015Ronnie BoDean — Ronnie BoDean
• 2015The Condemned 2 — Cyrus
• 2014A Million Ways to Die in the West — Cochise
• Penny Dreadful — Kaetenay
• 2014Pie Lady of Pie Town — Narrator (voice)
• 2014Planes: Fire & Rescue — Windlifter
• 2014Road to Paloma — Numay
• 2013Battledogs — Captain Falcos
• 2013Destination: Planet Negro! — Chief Bobby
• 2013Sugar — Bishop
• 2012Being Flynn — Captain
• Finding Your Roots
• Hell on Wheels — Chief Many Horses
• 2011The Dome of Heaven — DeWayne Moses
• 2010Ink: A Tale of Captivity — King Philip
• 200921 and a Wake-Up — General Gleason
• 2009Avatar — Eytukan
• 2009Call of the Wild — Hatcher
• Kings — General Linus Abner
• 2009The Only Good Indian — Sam
• 2009The Undying — Lt. Frank Wascoe
• Comanche Moon — Buffalo Hump
• 2008El Camino — Dave
• In Plain Sight — Chief Pierce
• 2008Older Than America — Richard Two Rivers
• The Mentalist — Joeseph Silverwing
• 2008Three Priests — Ben
• 2007Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee — Jack Wilson, Wovoka
• 2007Cosmic Radio — Sherriff Mike Nighthorse
• Saving Grace — Bobby's Dad
• 2007Seraphim Falls — Charon
• 2007Wolf Ridge
• 2005Animal — Creeper
• Grey's Anatomy — William Lawrence
• Into the West — Black Kettle
• 2005Miracle at Sage Creek — Chief Thomas
• 2005The New World — Opechancanough
• 2004A Thief Of Time — Joe Leaphorn
• 2003Coyote Waits — Joe Leaphorn
• 2003Edge of America — Cuch
• 2003The Lone Ranger — Kulakinah
• 2002Skinwalkers — Lt. Joe Leaphorn
• 2002Superfire — Joe Nighttrail
• 2002Undisputed — Mingo Pace
• 2001Christmas in the Clouds — Bingo Caller
• 2001Ice Planet — Commander Jonah Trager
• 2001Road to Redemption — Frank Lightfoot
• UC: Undercover
• 2000Wind River — Pocatello
• 1999Mystery Men — Sphinx
• 1999Soundman — Terry Leonard
• 1998Deep Rising — Hanover
• 1997The Killing Jar — Cameron
• 1996Crazy Horse — Red Cloud
• 1996Lone Justice: Showdown at Plum Creek
• Promised Land
• 1995Heat — Casals
• 1995Lone Justice 2 — One Horse
• Streets of Laredo — Famous Shoes
• 1994Street Fighter — Sagat
• 1993Geronimo: An American Legend — Geronimo
• Ned Blessing
• 1993The Broken Chain — Seth / Chief / Speaker for the Tribes
• Highlander: The Series — Sheriff Benson
• 1992The Last of the Mohicans — Magua
• 1991The Doors — Indian in Desert
• 1990Dances with Wolves — Toughest Pawnee
• The Flash — Roller
• 1989Powwow Highway — Buff
• American Experience — Major Ridge, Warrior in Canoe
• 1988Longarm — The Ute
• As Deep As the Grave — Tsali
• Brave — Ernie
• Candles
• Exhale — George
• Terra Infirma — Grey Owl
• The Pipeline — Samuel Horse, Executive Producer
• Timber Lands — Russ

Appearances as themselves (11)

• 2024Behind the Lines — Self
• 2022Acting Like Nothing is Wrong — Self
• 2022Bonnie — Self
• American Veteran — Self - Host
• 2010A Good Day to Die — Self - Actor; Cherokee
• 2010Making The Last of the Mohicans — Self
• 2010Reel Injun — Self
• 2006The Trail Of Tears: Cherokee Legacy — Himself
• The Directors — Self
• 1997Big Guns Talk: The Story of the Western — Self
• 1994Indian America: A Gift from the Past — Self - Narrator (voice)