Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Native American characters in a variety of films. Bedard was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Her heritage is Inupiat Inuit and Métis.
Career[]
Irene Bedard's first role was as Mary Crow Dog in the television production Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, which depicted the 1970s standoff between police and Native Americans at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. She is probably best known as the voice of the main character in the Disney animated film Pocahontas and its direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. Bedard was also the physical model for the character. She appeared in a different take of the story in the 2005 film The New World, as Pocahontas' mother. Bedard attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she studied Musical Theatre.
In 2005, she was cast in the television mini-series Into the West, portraying the half-Lakota, half-white adult Margaret "Light Shines" Wheeler.
Irene Bedard is known for bringing a powerful emotional presence to her characters. She was chosen as one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People for 1995.[1]
Personal life[]
She has been married to singer Denny Wilson since 1993.
Awards and nominations[]
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Golden Globe | Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Nominated |
| Western Heritage Awards | Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film | Won | ||
| 1999 | Two for Texas | Won | ||
| 2004 | American Indian LA Film and TV Awards | Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film | Greasewood Flat | Won |
| 2006 | NAMIC Vision Awards | Best Dramatic Performance | Into The West | Won |
| Western Heritage Awards | Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film | Won |
Filmography[]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee | Mary Crow Dog | TV movie |
| Squanto: A Warrior's Tale | Nakooma | ||
| 1995 | The Marshal | Melissa Carey | 1 episode: "Twoslip" |
| Pocahontas | Pocahontas | (voice) | |
| 1996 | Grand Avenue | Reyna | TV movies |
| Crazy Horse | Black Buffalo Woman | ||
| Adventures from the Book of Virtues | Morning Light | (voice); 1 episode: "Honesty" | |
| The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest | Alice Starseer | 2 episodes: "Return of the Anasazi"; "Trouble on the Colorado" | |
| Navajo Blues | Audrey Wyako | ||
| 1997 | Song of Hiawatha | Minnehaha | |
| Profiler | Maddy Duvall | 1 episode: "The Sorceror's Apprentice" | |
| Det store flip | Oglala | AKA, Wild Flowers | |
| True Women | Tobe | TV movie | |
| 1998 | 6/29 | Laura Cooper | |
| Naturally Native | Tanya Lewis | ||
| Smoke Signals | Suzy Song | ||
| Two for Texas | Sana | TV movie | |
| Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World | Pocahontas | Direct-to-video; (voice) | |
| 12 Bucks | Babe | ||
| 1999 | Blood Money | Naomi Lister | TV movie |
| Wildflowers | Ruby | ||
| Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles | General Miriam Redwing | (voice); 4 episodes (1999-2001) | |
| 2000 | Pussykat | ||
| The Lost Child | Grace | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Your Guardian | Katherine 'Kat' Damon | |
| The Outer Limits | Callie Whitehorse Landau | 1 episode: "In the Blood" | |
| The Agency | Diah Siagian | 1 episode: "The Year of Living Dangerously" | |
| 2003 | Paris | Sandy | |
| Greasewood Flat | Abbey | ||
| Edge of America | Annie Shorty | TV movie | |
| 2004 | What's New, Scooby-Doo? | Cody Long | (voice); 1 episode: "New Mexico, Old Monster" |
| 2005 | Planting Melvin | Billie Lawrence | |
| Higglytown Heroes | Forest Ranger Hero | (voice); 1 episode: "Fran Takes a Hike/Mystery at Kip's House" | |
| Into the West | Margaret Light Shines | 3 episodes: "Hell on Wheels"; "Casualties of War"; "Ghost Dance" | |
| Miracle at Sage Creek | Sunny | ||
| Love's Long Journey | Miriam Red Hawk McClain | TV movie | |
| The New World | Pocahontas' Mother | ||
| 2007 | Cosmic Radio | K.C. | |
| Tortilla Heaven | Liberata | ||
| The Red Chalk | Eve | ||
| 2008 | Turok: Son of Stone | Catori | (voice); Direct-to-video |
| The Spectacular Spider-Man | Jean DeWolff | (voice); 4 episodes (2008-2009) | |
| 2011 | Timberwolf | Eleni | Pre-Production |
References[]
External links[]
- Official website of Irene Bedard and Deni
- Irene Bedard Biography at who2.com
- Irene Bedard at the Internet Movie Database
- REDIRECT Template:AllRovi person
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