August Schellenberg

{{Infobox person

| name = August Schellenberg

| birth_name = August Werner Schellenberg

| birth_date = {{birth date|1936|07|25}}

| birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada

| death_date = {{death date and age|2013|08|15|1936|07|25}}

| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| resting_place = Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery

| other_names = Augie Schellenberg

| education = National Theatre School of Canada

| occupation = Actor

| years_active = 1964–2013

| spouse = Joan Karasevich

| children = 3

| website = {{url|augustschellenberg.com}}

}}

August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor.{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/august-schellenberg|title=August Schellenberg|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|first=Paul|last=Townend|date=August 19, 2013|access-date=September 29, 2019|archive-date=August 18, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818190313/https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/august-schellenberg|url-status=live}} He played Randolph in the first three installments of the Free Willy film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in Black Robe (1991), The New World (2005), and dozens of other films and television shows.

During his career, Schellenberg won a Gemini Award in 1986 and a Genie Award in 1991, as well as being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2007.

Life and career

Schellenberg was born and lived in Montreal, Quebec, until he moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1967.{{cite web|url=http://www.augustschellenberg.com/biography.html|title=Biography|publisher=Augustschellenberg.com|date=1936-07-25|access-date=2013-08-16|archive-date=2017-12-19|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171219104104/http://www.augustschellenberg.com/biography.html|url-status=live}} He was of English, Mohawk and Swiss-German descent.{{cite news|title=August Schellenberg was trailblazer in Canadian theatre|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/august-schellenberg-was-trailblazer-in-canadian-theatre/article14850396/|date=October 11, 2013|access-date=August 29, 2021|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|quote=August Werner Schellenberg was born July 25, 1936, in Montreal, the only child of an English-Mohawk mother and a Swiss father.|archive-date=August 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829074807/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/august-schellenberg-was-trailblazer-in-canadian-theatre/article14850396/|url-status=live}} He also spoke French. He was based in Toronto until 1995. He lived in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, actress Joan Karasevich. He was the father of three daughters, two with Karasevich. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada from 1963 to 1966.

His initial work was in the Don Shebib-directed coming-of-age film Rip-Off, in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal. During the 1990s he had major roles in Black Robe (as Chomina), Free Willy and its sequels (as Randolph Johnson), Iron Will (Ned Dodd), True Heart (Khonanesta), and TV film Crazy Horse (Sitting Bull). He went on to star as Chief Powhatan in Terrence Malick's 2005 film The New World. He also had roles in Disney's Eight Below and in the doco The Green Chain (2007). In 2011, he appeared in two episodes of the television series Stargate Universe as Yaozu. His favorite role was that of Sitting Bull in the film Crazy Horse, a character he reprised in the film version of the Dee Brown bestseller Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, for which he received an Emmy nomination.{{cite web |url=http://www.emmys.com/shows/bury-my-heart-wounded-knee |title=Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee {{pipe}} Television Academy |publisher=emmys.com |access-date=2018-08-20 |archive-date=2018-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180821000641/http://www.emmys.com/shows/bury-my-heart-wounded-knee |url-status=live }} He also starred in Dreamkeeper (2003) as Pete Chasing Horse.

Schellenberg was nominated for three Genie Awards and won one (for Black Robe). He was also nominated for two Gemini Awards, and won one (for the television movie The Prodigal).{{cite web |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/784990/canadian-actor-august-schellenberg-dies-at-77/ |title=Canadian actor August Schellenberg dies at 77 |publisher=Globalnews.ca |access-date=2018-08-20 |archive-date=2024-08-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240818190317/https://globalnews.ca/news/784990/canadian-actor-august-schellenberg-dies-at-77/ |url-status=live }}

In 2012, he performed the title role in an all-aboriginal production of William Shakespeare's King Lear at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, alongside a cast that also included Billy Merasty as Gloucester, Tantoo Cardinal as Regan, Jani Lauzon in a dual role as Cordelia and the Fool, Craig Lauzon as Kent, and the play's assistant director, Lorne Cardinal, as The Duke of Albany.[https://ottawacitizen.com/life/Aboriginal+cast+staging+King+Lear/6612207/story.html "Aboriginal cast in staging of King Lear"]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. Ottawa Citizen, May 12, 2012.

During his lifetime, Schellenberg taught acting seminars at Toronto's Centre for Indigenous Theatre and York University. He conducted motivational workshops in schools and for cultural and community organizations across North America. Schellenberg's younger brother played Dior in Grey's Anatomy, season 5. Shortly after that, August died of lung cancer.

Death

Schellenberg died on August 15, 2013, in Dallas, Texas after a long battle with lung cancer.{{cite news |url=http://www.tmz.com/2013/08/16/august-schellenberg-free-willy-dead-dies/ |title=August Schellenberg Dead -- 'Free Willy' Star Dies at 77 |work=TMZ.com |access-date=20 August 2018 |date=16 August 2013 |publisher=EHM Productions, Inc. |archive-date=13 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150913101744/http://www.tmz.com/2013/08/16/august-schellenberg-free-willy-dead-dies/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/mohawk-actor-august-schellenberg-dies-at-77-1.1405946 |title=Mohawk actor August Schellenberg dies at 77 |access-date=16 August 2013 |date=16 August 2013 |publisher=CBC/Radio-Canada |archive-date=14 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130914010605/http://www.cbc.ca/news/arts/story/2013/08/16/august-schellenberg-dies.html |url-status=live }} He was interred at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.{{cite news |url=https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-dallas-morning-news/20130817/282376922226389 |newspaper=The Dallas Morning News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190129122840/https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-dallas-morning-news/20130817/282376922226389 |archive-date=29 January 2019 |title=Actor in 'Free Willy' movies |first=Joe |last=Simnacher |date=17 August 2013 |access-date=15 April 2019 |via=PressReader |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}

Filmography

=Film=

Rip-Off (1971)
A Fan's Notes (1972)
Between Friends (1973)
One Man (1977) - Ernie Carrick
Power Play (1978) - Minh
Drying Up the Streets (1978) - Nick
Bear Island (1979) - Marine Technician
The Coffin Affair (1980) - Wilbert Coffin
Death Hunt (1981) - Deak De Bleargue
Heavy Metal (1981) - Norl (segment "Den") / Taarak (segment "Taarna") (voice)
Kings and Desperate Men (1981) - Stanley Aldini
Latitude 55° (1982) - Josef Przysiezny
The Ruffian (1983) - Nelson Harting
Running Brave (1983) - Billy's Father
Cross Country (1983) - Glen Cosgrove
Covergirl (1984) - Joel Vacchio
Best Revenge (1984) - Captain of 'Recon Star'
The Painted Door (1984)
Confidential (1986) - Charles Ripley
Mark of Cain (1986) - Otto
Qui a tiré sur nos histoires d'amour (1986) - Fabien
Long Lance (1986) - (voice)
Divided Loyalties (1990)
Black Robe (1991) - Chomina
Free Willy (1993) - Randolph Johnson
Iron Will (1994) - Ned Dodd
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) - Randolph Johnson
Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997) - Randolph Johnson
Silence (1997) - Johnny
True Heart (1997) - Khonanesta
The Unsaid (2001) - Detective Hannah
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) - Tecopa
Going The Distance (2004) - Emile
The New World (2005) - Chief Powhatan
Eight Below (2006) - Mindo
The Green Chain (2007) - The Executive - John Clements
Missionary Man (2007) - White Deer
45 R.P.M. (2008) - Peter George Moses
The Last Movie (2012) - Samuel Booker (final film role)

=Television=

Year	Title	Role	Notes
class="wikitable sortable" \|+ {{Screen reader-only\| August Schellenberg television credits}}
1964 \| Shoestring Theatre \| \| Episode: "The Dark Mirror"
1977 \| The New Avengers \| Bailey \| Episode: "Forward Base"
1983 \| The Hitchhiker \| Bob Ames \| Episode: "When Morning Comes"
1985	Tramp at the Door	Albert Fournier	TV miniseries
1986 \| The Equalizer \| Brennan \| Episode: "Unpunished Crimes"
1986 \| Philip Marlowe, Private Eye \| Johnny Tango \| Episode: "Blackmailers Don't Shoot"
1986 \| Lance et compte \| Allan Goldberg \| 1 episode
1987 \| Airwolf \| Gregori Nobokov \| Episode: "Deathtrain"
1988	The Return of Ben Casey	Dr. Madigan	TV movie
1989	Champagne Charlie	General Butler	TV miniseries
1990 \| Counterstrike \| Cortez \| Episode: "Now and at the Hour of Our Death"
1991 \| Counterstrike \| St. John \| Episode: "Native Warriors"
1992 \| The Adventures of Tintin \| \| English version, voice
1993	Geronimo	Cochise	TV movie
1994	Getting Gotti	Willie Boy Johnson	TV movie
1994	Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee	Dick Wilson	TV movie
1994	Lonesome Dove: The Series	Chief Iron Bow	TV miniseries. Episode: "Last Stand"
1994–1995 \| North of 60 \| Ben Montour \| 5 episodes
1994–1995 \| Walker Texas Ranger \| Billy Gray Wolf \| 2 episodes
1995	Tecumseh: The Last Warrior	Black Hoof	TV movie
1996	The Siege at Ruby Ridge	Native American	TV movie
1996	Crazy Horse	Sitting Bull	TV movie
1996 \| Ken Burns Presents: The West \| Various (voice) \| TV miniseries documentary. {{Hidden\|{{align\|left\|3 episodes}}\| "Speck of the Future" "Death Runs Riot" "Fight No More Forever"}}
1998	Scattering Dad	Fierce Crow	TV movie
1999	Lakota Moon	Bull Elk	TV movie
2000 \| So Weird \| Tom Martinez \| Episode: "Destiny"
2000	High Noon	Antonio	TV movie
2002	Chiefs	Sitting Bull	TV miniseries documentary
2003	Dreamkeeper	Grandpa	TV movie
2004	The Making of "DreamKeeper"	Himself	Video documentary short
2006	Making "The New World"	Himself	Video documentary
2007	Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee	Sitting Bull	TV movie
2008 \| Grey's Anatomy \| Clay Bedonie \| Episode: "These Ties That Bind"
2007–2010 \| Saving Grace \| GeePaw \| 1 episode