Native Hollywood Icons: The Actors Who Changed the Industry

Every awards season, Hollywood dusts off its diversity speeches and rolls out a token handful of Indigenous stories—often performed, produced, or directed by non-Indigenous people. But Native actors have been serving talent, presence, and cultural power on screen for decades, despite the industry’s best efforts to erase them. With the Oscars coming up and Lily Gladstone set to make history, it’s time to look back at the Native actors who changed Hollywood forever.

Sacheen Littlefeather: The Moment That Shook the Academy

Before we get into the list, let’s take a moment for the woman who turned the Oscars stage into a battlefield for Native representation. Sacheen Littlefeather strode up to that podium in 1973, gracefully but firmly rejecting Marlon Brando’s Oscar on his behalf to call out Hollywood’s treatment of Native people. There she was, standing in front of a sea of white faces who probably thought Dances with Wolves was peak Indigenous cinema, dropping a truth bomb: "Nah, y'all gotta do better."

For that, she was blacklisted from Hollywood, proving her exact point. The Academy waited until 2022 to issue an apology, which is honestly the most on-brand thing they could’ve done. But Sacheen’s moment lives on, inspiring generations of Native actors and activists who refuse to let the industry dictate their narratives.

The Native Legends Who Paved the Way

Will Sampson (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1975)

Will Sampson’s Chief Bromden was the quiet force of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. While Hollywood loved to reduce Native characters to silent mystics, Sampson flipped the script, making silence a weapon. Off-screen, he was just as legendary—an artist, activist, and rodeo champion who fought for better Native representation in film.

Graham Greene (Dances with Wolves, 1990)

Yes, Dances with Wolves was white savior-y as hell, but Graham Greene brought depth and dignity to Kicking Bird, making sure Indigenous presence wasn’t just background scenery. His career took off from there, with roles that showed his insane range—from historical epics to sci-fi thrillers (The Green Mile, Wind River). The man has BEEN working.

Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans, Geronimo: An American Legend, Avatar)

No list is complete without Wes Studi, the first Native actor to receive an Oscar (an honorary one, but still). Studi is what happens when raw talent meets relentless determination—he gave us some of the most complex Native characters ever, refusing to play stereotypes. Hollywood tried to box him in, and he basically said, "Try me."

The Next Generation of Native Excellence

Adam Beach (Smoke Signals, Flags of Our Fathers, Suicide Squad)

Adam Beach is proof that leading man energy exists in Native cinema. Smoke Signals was a cultural reset (hey Victor!), and Beach has carried that momentum into Hollywood, balancing blockbuster roles with deeply personal Indigenous stories.

Lily Gladstone (Killers of the Flower Moon, Certain Women)

The moment. The movement. Lily Gladstone is poised to become the first Native actress to win an Oscar, and it’s long overdue. Her work in Killers of the Flower Moon is raw, haunting, and impossible to ignore. This isn’t just about one award—it’s about breaking a ceiling that never should’ve existed in the first place.

So Where Does Hollywood Go from Here?

It’s 2025, and Native actors should not still be fighting for space in an industry that profits off their stories. But change is happening. Slowly. Messily. Yet undeniably. The success of Reservation Dogs, Prey, and Killers of the Flower Moon proves that Indigenous cinema isn’t a trend—it’s a force.

So as we gear up for another awards season, let’s remember that Native talent has been here. It’s been legendary. And it’s only getting louder.

Photo By Rick Browne, Los Angeles Times - UCLA Library Special Collections, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=112630686