Gordon Tootoosis
Acting
Born October 25, 1941, Poundmaker Reserve, Saskatchewan, Canada
From Wikipedia. Gordon Tootoosis, CM (October 25, 1941 – July 5, 2011) was a First Nations actor of Cree and Stoney descent. Tootoosis was a descendant of Yellow Mud Blanket, brother of the famous Cree leader Pîhtokahanapiwiyin. He was acclaimed for his commitment to preserving his culture and to telling his people's stories. He once said, "Leadership is about submission to duty, not elevation to power." He served as a founding member of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company. Tootoosis offered encouragement, support and training to aspiring Aboriginal actors. He served as a leading Cree activist both as a social worker and as a band chief. In Open Season and Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run, Tootoosis was the voice of Sheriff Gordy. He was awarded membership in the Order of Canada on October 29, 2004. The investiture ceremony took place on September 9, 2005. His citation recognizes him as an inspirational role model for Aboriginal youth. It notes that as a veteran actor, he portrayed memorable characters in movie and television productions in Canada and the United States. Gordon Tootoosis first acting role was in the film Alien Thunder (1974), with Chief Dan George and Donald Sutherland. He portrayed Albert Golo in 52 episodes of North of 60 in the 1990s. He is best known to British audiences for playing the Native American Joe Saugus, who negotiates the purchase of the Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet series 3 (2002). Gordon appeared in the CBC Television mini-series By Way of the Stars with Eric Schweig as Black Thunder and Tantoo Cardinal as Franoise. He appeared in the award-winning movie Legends of the Fall (1994), and starred with Russell Means in Disney's Pocahontas (1995) and Song of Hiawatha (1997). In 1999, he and Tantoo Cardinal became founding members of the board of directors of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company. In 2011, he appeared in Gordon Winter at the Persephone Theatre in Saskatoon and Prairie Scene in Ottawa, his first stage role in 15 years. Tootoosis won a Gemini Award for his work on the animated show Wapos Bay: The Series and was nominated twice for his work on North of 60.
Filmography
- 2012Guns, Girls and Gambling — The Chief
- 2011Doomsday Prophecy — John
- Fear Itself — Eddie Bear
- 2008Out In the Cold — Soft as Snow
- 2008Skin and Bones — Eddie Bear
- 2007Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee — Chief Red Cloud
- 2007Hybrid — Grandpa
- 2007That Beautiful Somewhere — Harold
- 2006Boog and Elliot's Midnight Bun Run — Gordy (voice)
- 2006Mr. Soul
- 2006Open Season — Gordy (voice)
- 2005Fugitives Run — Dan John
- 2005Hank Williams First Nation — Adelard Fox
- 20047 Times Lucky — Mr. Five Wounds
- Shoebox Zoo — Nathaniel Stone
- 2003Cowboys & Indians — James Harper
- 2003Dreamkeeper — Kills Enemy
- Moccasin Flats — Joe Redsky
- 2003On the Corner — Floyd
- 2002Black Point — Standing Bear
- 2002Christmas at Wapos Bay — Mushom
- 2002Now & Forever — Ghost Fox
- 2001Dream Storm: A North of 60 Mystery — Albert Golo
- MythQuest — Red Wolf
- 2001Nobody's Baby — Dog Havasu
- Smallville — Joseph Willowbrook
- 2001The Doe Boy — Marvin
- 2000Bear with Me — John Ours
- 2000Reindeer Games — Old Governor
- 1999Lakota Moon — Rolling Thunder
- 1998Big Bear — Chief Big Bear
- The Magnificent Seven — Chief Ko-Je
- 1997Forgotten Warriors — Narrator (voice)
- 1997Keeping the Promise — Sakniss
- 1997Song of Hiawatha — Iagoo
- 1996Alaska — Ben
- 1996Coyote Summer — Mopeah
- 1996Crazy Horse — Akicita
- 1996Lone Star — Wesley Birdsong
- 500 Nations
- 1995Pocahontas — Kekata (voice)
- 1995Pocahontas: The Legend — Chief Powhatan
- 1994Legends of the Fall — One Stab
- 1993Call Of The Wild — Charlie
- Madison
- 1993Spirit Rider — Joe Moon
- The X-Files — Shaman
- 1992Heritage Minutes: Peacemaker — Grandfather
- 1992Leaving Normal — Hank Amaruk
- 1992Lost in the Barrens II: The Curse of the Viking Grave — Mewasin
- North of 60 — Albert Golo
- 1991Black Robe — Old Aenons
- 1991Blood River — Smiling Knife
- Heritage Minutes — Le grand-père
- Palace Guard
- Northern Exposure — Pete
- Bordertown — Chief Wild Eagle
- 1989Last Train Home — Poundmaker
- Friday the 13th: The Series — Spotted Owl
- 1987Stone Fox — Stone Fox
- Danger Bay — Warden Bill Bragg
- MacGyver — Perry, Phil Crow
- Airwolf — Charlie Rising Moon
- Auf Wiedersehen, Pet — Joe Saugus
- 1978Marie Ann — Chief Many Horses
- 1977Amisk
- 1974Alien Thunder — Almighty Voice