Famous Native Americans in Hollywood

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Native Americans are people who have Indian heritage in their blood. There are many Native Americans who have graced the big stage and become famous, Native Americans in Hollywood.

The Greatest, Famous Native American

Will Rogers
Will Rogers

Probably one of the most famous Native Americans to grace the film stage is Will Rogers. Will Rogers was born in Oklahoma in the 1870s. He performed as a cowboy to gain notoriety. He was a stand-up comedian using lassos as props in his show. He was part Cherokee Indian.

Smokey and the Bandit

Burt Reynolds
Burt Reynolds

Burt Reynolds’ father was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian. Some of his most popular movies were made in the 1970s. One of the most popular movies he ever made was Smoky and the Bandit.

Maverick

James Garner
James Garner

James GarnerJames Garner’s mother was a Cherokee Indian. He was born in Oklahoma in 1928. He became a member of the Merchant Marines and was a soldier in the Korean War. He is famous for his role as ‘Maverick’ in the movies. He is well-known for his TV appearance in the Rockford Files.

A Star is Born

Graham Greene
Graham Greene

A look into Graham Greene’s career will show that he is famous for his role in the movie Dances with Wolves where he played the role of the medicine man called Kicking Bird. He has also won acclaim for his role in The Green Mile.
Many of us will find that we have ancestry that leads back to being Native American. This is due to the fact that when America was colonized, the Indians were the only form of humanity in this land. There were relationships that had developed out of some of the Indians and the white men during colonization. You don’t have to look like a Native American today to be Indian. Many people have Indian blood running through their veins today.

The Native American Look

Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz

A good example of a Native American that looks nothing like an Indian is Cameron Diaz. Cameron Diaz is one-eighth Native American as reported. She is a blonde and looks nothing like a Native American. You cannot tell if a person has Indian blood in them by their outer appearance.

The Birth of a Civilization

It is important to look into the ancestry of each individual person if you want to find out if they have Indian blood in them. Many times the white man took the Indian women to be their wives, and this is how the mixture of Native Americans with white men came to be presently. For instance, you will see that Benjamin Pratt is of Quechan descent on his mother’s side. He is famous for his roles in Law and Order. He has also hit the big screen in many different movies. He has proved to be a very versatile actor.

Cherokee Blood

Cher is of Cherokee ancestry. She is a famous singer and actress. She is most known for her outrageous costumes and unique singing ability. She is one-sixteenth Cherokee Indian on her mother’s side. Because so many famous people have Indian ancestry, it is difficult to differentiate whether a person is Native American or not on the big screen.

You almost have to look into each individual person’s genealogy to find out whether or not they have Native American ancestry in them. However, being a Native American does not guarantee you success in acting. Many Native Americans are famous. It is important that we recognize them for their heritage because it is honoring them to do so.

It is not important to be a Native American to become famous. Each person is an individual in their ability to act. When a person becomes famous because of their acting ability, it is their doing that which is making them famous not their American Indian heritage. You will want to make sure that you recognize those who are American Indian for their ancestry because it is important to acknowledge that part of their history.


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2 Responses

  1. Veronica

    September 25, 2013 7:58 am

    Only 5 famous Native Americans? No, let me correct that, 2 of them, 3 if you count Cher, have only 1/8th or 1/16th Native American heritage on their parents’ side. The fact that you cannot even name 10 famous, full blooded Native Americans is enough to be sad about. What’s sadder is that we know it’s not because there is lack of talent but because there aren’t that many Native Americans survived the “white men’s reign” to breed famous talents and that’s a shame 🙁

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