Michael Horse
Acting
Born December 21, 1951, Los Angeles, California, USA
Michael Horse (born Michael James Heinrich; December 21, 1949) is an American actor known for his portrayals of Native American characters in film and television. Horse was born Michael James Heinrich in Los Angeles, California, on December 21, 1949. His mother, Nancie Belle Posten, was Swedish. Horse's adoptive father, George Heinrich, was born in Florida to parents from Austria. Nancie died in California in 2004. Horse's film debut came in the role of Tonto in the 1981 film The Legend of the Lone Ranger, which was a commercial failure. Before taking the role, Horse had been concerned that the character might be perceived as a stereotype. After appearing in David Lynch's short film The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988), Horse portrayed Deputy Hawk, a Native American policeman, in Lynch's TV series Twin Peaks (1990–91). He also acted in Passenger 57 (1992), House of Cards (1993), the 1990s version of the television series The Untouchables (1993), and North of 60 (1995–97). He also appeared in the Thanks episode "Thanksgiving" in 1999, portraying Squanto. He appeared as Deputy Owen Blackwood in four episodes of the first season of Roswell (1999). Horse also appeared as Sheriff Tskany in The X-Files episode "Shapes" in 1994. In 1999, Horse guest starred on Walker, Texas Ranger in the episode "Team Cherokee" as John Red Cloud, the owner of a Native American NASCAR racing team and a friend of the titular character, Texas Ranger Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris). Horse portrayed American Indian Movement (AIM) activist Dennis Banks in the 1994 film Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee. Eight years later, he lent his voice to Little Creek's friend in Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. He portrayed Mike Proudfoot on Sons of Tucson. In 1995 he portrayed Dirty Bob in the Western film Riders in the Storm. He played the character Jindoga in Hawkeye. In 2017, Horse reprised his role as Deputy Hawk in the third season of TV series Twin Peaks. He also portrayed Twamie Ullulaq in the seventh season of The Blacklist in 2020.
Filmography
- 2026We Are the River: How the Mississippi Shaped Minnesota — Narrator (voice)
- 2023Gift of Fear — Chance Riddle
- The American Buffalo — (voice)
- Motherland: Fort Salem — The Marshal
- 2020The Call of the Wild — Edenshaw
- 2018Lights Camera Bullshit — Narrator
- 2017Dead Ant — Bigfoot
- Godless — Chief Narrienta
- 2014Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces — Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill
- The Blacklist — Twamie Ullulaq
- 2012Skinny Jo — Tombi
- Hell on Wheels — Native American
- Sons of Tucson — Mike Proudfoot
- Young Justice — Holling Longshadow (voice)
- 2008Bone Eater — Storm Cloud
- 2008Turok: Son of Stone — Lead Raider / Chief (voice)
- All Grown Up!
- 2002Birdseye — Pete Longshadow
- 2002Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron — Little Creek's Friend (voice)
- What's New, Scooby-Doo? — Leon Strongfeather (voice)
- 2001Dirt — Native American Convict
- Kristin — Jonathan Stillwater
- Jackie Chan Adventures — Muntab Leader (voice)
- Malcolm in the Middle — Security Guy, Steve
- 1999In the Blue Ground: A North of 60 Mystery — Andrew One Sky
- Roswell — Owen Blackwood
- 1998Shattered Illusions — Eddie
- 1998Star of Jaipur — Colonel Ironwood
- The Wild Thornberrys — Wildlife Ranger Sam Rainwater (voice)
- The Legend of Calamity Jane — Chaynah Walker (voice)
- Adventures from the Book of Virtues — Strong Wind / The Chief (voice)
- 1996American Strays — Lead Cop, Stunt Coordinator
- Arli$$ — Charlie Silvercloud
- 1996Navajo Blues — Begay
- Superman: The Animated Series — Sky Sentry Operator (voice), Ubu (voice)
- The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest — Ames (voice), Eskimo (voice)
- Life with Louie
- 1995Riders in the Storm — Dirty Bob
- Duckman — Big Chief Fancy Pants (voice)
- Gargoyles — Peter Maza/Carlos Maza (voice), Peter Maza (voice)
- 1994Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee — Dennis Banks
- 1993House of Cards — Stoker
- The Untouchables — George Steelman
- The X-Files — Sheriff Charles Tskany
- Walker, Texas Ranger — John Red Cloud
- 1992Passenger 57 — Forget
- P.S. I Luv U
- The Torkelsons — David Blackwing
- Bobby's World
- Twin Peaks — Tommy 'Hawk' Hill
- 1989Border Shootout — Dandy Jim
- 1989Deadly Weapon — Indian Joe
- 1989Twin Peaks — Deputy Tommy 'Hawk' Hill
- 1988Buckeye and Blue — Cherokee Bill
- 1988Longarm — Vasquez
- 1988Rented Lips — Bobby Leaping Mouse
- 1988The Cowboy and the Frenchman — Broken Feather
- 1988The French as Seen by… — (Segment "The Cowboy and the Frenchman")
- 1986The Check is in the Mail... — Pool Attendant
- Amazing Stories — Indian, male friend
- Hollywood Beat — Billy Night Eyes
- It Takes Two
- Knight Rider — Jonathan Eagle
- 1982The Avenging — Josuah
- 1981The Legend of the Lone Ranger — Tonto
- I Filmed Your Death — Andy Bones
- The Bench
Appearances as themselves (10)
- 2026I Know Catherine, the Log Lady — Self
- 2021Welcome Home: Mary Reber and the Twin Peaks Palmer House — Self
- 2017A Very Lovely Dream: One Week in Twin Peaks — Self
- 2017Bad Binoculars — Self
- 2017The Man with the Gray Elevated Hair — Self
- 2007Secrets from Another Place: Creating Twin Peaks — Self
- 2002The Short Films of David Lynch — Self
- 2001Postcards From The Cast — Self
- 2001Reflections on the Phenomenon of Twin Peaks — Self
- 1982I Love Liberty — Self