Biography
Who is Wes Studi?
Early life and education
Wes Studi was born in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma. He grew up in a Cherokee family. His mother, Maggie Studie, worked as a housekeeper. His father was Andy Studie, who worked on a ranch. At home, Wes spoke only the Cherokee language before starting elementary school.
He went to the Chilocco Indian Agricultural School for high school and finished in 1964. He studied dry cleaning as a vocational major. Later, he attended Tulsa Community College. He performed in The Royal Hunt of the Sun with the American Indian Theater Company.
Military service and activism
At 17, Wes joined the Oklahoma National Guard. He completed basic and advanced training at Fort Polk, Louisiana. He served with the 9th Infantry Division in the 3rd Battalion 39th Infantry for 12 months in Vietnam.
After leaving the military, he became an activist for Native American rights. In 1972, he joined the American Indian Movement. He took part in the Trail of Broken Treaties march to Washington. He helped occupy the Bureau of Indian Affairs Building during this time. In 1973, he participated in the Wounded Knee Incident at Pine Ridge Reservation and was arrested.
Career highlights
Wes Studi first appeared in the 1988 film The Trial of Standing Bear. He gained fame for playing Native American warriors. He played a Pawnee in Dances with Wolves and Magua in The Last of the Mohicans. In 1993, he starred in Geronimo: An American Legend. He played the superhero Sphinx in Mystery Men. From 2002, he played Police Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn in PBS movies based on Tony Hillerman books. He portrayed a character based on chief Opechancanough in The New World.
Wes appeared as Major Ridge in the PBS series We Shall Remain. He played the Na'vi chief Eytukan in the film Avatar. He also appeared in the 2025 sequel Avatar: Fire and Ash. In 2017, he starred as Cheyenne chief Yellow Hawk in Hostiles. Other films include Heat and A Million Ways to Die in the West. He also appeared in the television show Penny Dreadful. The New York Times placed him at number 19 on its list of the 21st century's top actors.
Family and honors
Outside of acting, Wes taught the Cherokee syllabary and language. He helped start a newspaper in the Cherokee language and worked in ranching. He has a daughter named Leah and a son named Daniel from his first marriage. He later married Maura Dhu, the child of actor Jack Albertson. Together they have a son named Kholan. They live on a farm near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Wes and his wife play in a band called Firecat of Discord. He is the honorary chair for the Indigenous Language Institute.
Wes received an Academy Honorary Award in 2019. He was the first Indigenous person from North America to get this honor. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Other awards include a Golden Boot Award and a Western Heritage Award for Geronimo: An American Legend. He was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers in 2013. He endorsed Bernie Sanders for president in 2016.
Birthday and age
Wes Studi was born on December 17, 1947, which makes Wes 78 years old today. That birthday falls under the Sagittarius sign. Wes shares the date with 28 other famous people.
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