Gary Farmer
{{Short description|First Nations actor}}
{{For|the politician|Gary Farmer (Florida politician)}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Gary Farmer
| image = Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers 2012 (zqprkUSOOU0).jpg
| caption = Farmer performing with Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers in 2012
| birth_name = Gary Dale Farmer
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1953|06|12}}
| birth_place = Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada
| alma_mater = {{plainlist|
| occupation = Actor, musician
| years_active = 1976–present
}}
Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian First Nations (Cayuga) actor and musician.{{cite web|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/m/article/gary-dale-farmer/|title=Gary Dale Farmer|website=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=August 24, 2018}} He is best known for his Independent Spirit Award-nominated roles in Powwow Highway (1989), Dead Man (1995) and Smoke Signals (1998). He briefly reprised his role as Nobody from Dead Man in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).
He is widely recognized as a pioneer in the development of First Nations media in Canada and is the founding director of an urban Indian radio network, Aboriginal Voices Radio Network.
Early life and education
Farmer was born in Ohsweken, Ontario into the Cayuga Nation and Wolf Clan[http://calendar.bloomingtonscene.com/?act=evdet&eid=4930 "The Scene"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930161301/http://calendar.bloomingtonscene.com/?act=evdet&eid=4930 |date=2007-09-30 }}, HeraldTimesScene.com; accessed December 26, 2015. of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy.[http://bcc.ctc.edu/diversitycaucus/AIFF/Farmer.htm "Gary Farmer is a member of the Cayuga nation within the Haudenosaunee"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061217003725/http://bcc.ctc.edu/diversitycaucus/AIFF/Farmer.htm |date=2006-12-17 }}, bcc.ctc.edu; accessed December 26, 2015.[http://www.nativenetworks.si.edu/Eng/rose/farmer_g.htm Gary Farmer profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130911044120/http://nativenetworks.si.edu/eng/rose/farmer_g.htm |date=2013-09-11 }}, NativeNetworks.si.edu; accessed December 26, 2015.[https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800024673/bio Gary Farmer Biography], yahoo.com; accessed December 28, 2015. He grew up in the American city of Buffalo where his father worked as a crane operator.{{cite news |last1=Zekas |first1=Rita |title=Gary Farmer is bringing it to the stage and screen |work=Secwepemc News |date=July 1990 |page=7}} Farmer attended Syracuse University and Ryerson Polytechnic University, where he studied photography and film production.
Career
=Acting=
Farmer's first acting role was in the 1976 play On The Rim of a Curse, about the Beothuk. His first major television role was on the CBC's Spirit Bay. He subsequently played police captain Joe Stonetree on the syndicated TV series Forever Knight, and Chief Tom in the CBC first nations TV series The Rez. Farmer is best known for his role as spiritual Native American guide Nobody in Dead Man. Farmer reprised the role for a cameo in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, also directed by Jim Jarmusch.{{Cite book|title=Jim Jarmusch|last=Suarez|first=Juan|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=2007|isbn=9780252096075|location=Urbana|pages=128}}
Farmer has performed in both the film and television adaptations of Tony Hillerman's novels. He played "Cowboy" Albert Dashee (Hopi) in the 1991 film The Dark Wind, and Captain Largo (Navajo) in the television adaptations of Coyote Waits (2003) and A Thief of Time (2004).{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}
He played a supporting character Burt in the 2001 crime thriller The Score starring Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Ed Norton, Angela Bassett and Paul Soles. Farmer also appeared in two episodes of the popular children's television show Big Comfy Couch as Wobbly.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
Farmer played the role of Fagin in Twist, the 2003 independent adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic novel Oliver Twist, and the role of "Iktome" in the 2003 all Native American cast TV film Dreamkeeper, directed by Steve Barron. He also played Deputy Bob in Demon Knight. Other major roles included Henry Colville, with Kris Kristofferson, in Disappearances (2006) and Jack in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013) by Arnaud Desplechin.{{citation needed|date=September 2020}}
He recorded the audiobook version of Louise Erdrich's 2012 novel The Round House, winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction.
Farmer appeared in season 1 of the Sundance TV series The Red Road in 2014.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}}
In 2020, Farmer had brief appearances in the films First Cow and The Dark Divide.{{cite web |title=Cast |url=https://darkdividefilm.com/cast/ |website=The Dark Divide |access-date=2020-09-26}}
Farmer appeared as the recurring character Uncle Brownie in the highly-acclaimed FX series Reservation Dogs from 2021-2023, and as Dan Twelvetrees in the Syfy series Resident Alien.
He was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for his roles in the movies Powwow Highway, Dead Man, and Smoke Signals
=Music=
He also has a blues band called Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers. The band has released two CDs, Love Songs and Other Issues in 2007 and Lovesick Blues in 2009.
=Other=
Farmer is also a regular supporter of University of Nebraska Omaha Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow, held a week before the Gathering of Nations Powwow. He makes appearances selling his CD's and occasionally giving speeches. University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) considers Farmer a "very good friend".{{citation needed|date=September 2020}} Farmer received an honorary degree from Fort Lewis College in 2022.
Filmography
= Film =
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1984
|Sidewalk Store Owner | |
| 1984
|Tooby | |
| 1987
|data-sort-value="Believers, The" | The Believers |Mover | |
| 1987
|data-sort-value="Big Town, The" | The Big Town |Duke | |
| 1988
|Doug | |
| 1988
|Philbert Bono | |
| 1989
|George | |
| 1990
|Still Life: The Fine Art of Murder |Billy | |
| 1991
|data-sort-value="Dark Wind, The" | The Dark Wind |Cowboy Albert Dashee | |
| 1992
|Captain Joe Stonetree | |
| 1993
|Big Lar | |
| 1994
|Russell White | |
| 1995
|Deputy Bob Martel | |
| 1995
|Nobody | |
| 1996
|Henry | |
| 1996
|Timothée | |
| 1998
|Arnold Joseph | |
| 1998
|Stolen Heart |Whitaker | |
| 1999
|Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai |Nobody | |
| 1999
|Touched |George | |
| 1999
|Heater |Ben | |
| 2001
|Max | |
| 2001
|data-sort-value="Score, The" | The Score |Burt | |
| 2001
|Shaman | |
| 2002
|Verdell Weasel Tail | |
| 2002
|Angels Don't Sleep Here |Lou Washington | |
| 2002
|Buster Baxley | |
| 2003
|data-sort-value="Big Empty, The" | The Big Empty |Indian Bob | |
| 2003
|Fagin | |
| 2003
|data-sort-value="Republic of Love, The" | The Republic of Love |Ted | |
| 2004
|Evergreen |Jim | |
| 2004
|Seven Thumbs | |
| 2005
|Winker at Support Group | |
| 2006
|Herny Coville | |
| 2006
|One Night with You |Momo | |
| 2007
|Billy Caan | |
| 2007
|Bob | |
| 2008
|Curly | |
| 2009
|Rejection |Albert | |
| 2009
|data-sort-value="Timekeeper, The" | The Timekeeper |Cook | |
| 2010
|Roland Brandt | |
| 2010
|Ink: A Tale of Captivity |Alderman | |
| 2010
|data-sort-value="Windigo Tale, A" | A Windigo Tale |Harold | |
| 2011
|data-sort-value="Bird of the Air, A" | A Bird of the Air |Charles Ballard | |
| 2011
|California Indian |Rich Knight | |
| 2011
|Moe | |
| 2012
|Path of Souls |Eddie Benton Benai | |
| 2013
|Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian |Jack | |
| 2013
|Lame Bull | |
| 2015
|Smoke | |
| 2019
|data-sort-value="Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw, The" | The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi Bearclaw |Oliver Yellowdog | |
| 2019
|Totillicum | |
| 2019
|Moon | |
| 2019
| |
| 2020
|Robert Spottedbird | |
| 2020
|data-sort-value="Dark Divide, The" | The Dark Divide |Densmore | |
| 2021
|Blood Brothers: Civil War |Smoke | |
| 2021
|Self | |
| 2022
|Calvin | |
| 2023
|Gary | |
= Television =
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Year !Title !Role !class="unsortable" | Notes |
| 1983
|Tooby |Episode: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank" |
| 1985
|data-sort-value="Undergrads, The" | The Undergrads |Castro |Television film |
| 1986
|Masters' Bodyguard |Episode: "Spanish Blood" |
| 1986
|Doing Life |First Prisoner | rowspan="3" |Television film |
| 1986
|{{N/a}} |
| 1986
|Christmas Eve |Jody |
| 1988
|Wilson |Episode: "Bad Timing" |
| 1988
|9B |Harry Derek |Episode: "Dropout" |
| 1989
|Rick |Episode: "Wedding Bell Blues" |
| 1990
|Sparks: The Price of Passion |Pete |Television film |
| 1990
|Dreamwalker |Episode: "Strange Brew" |
| 1991
|Todd |Television film |
| 1992
|Detective Brant |2 episodes |
| 1992–1994
|Capt. Joe Stonetree / Detective Norton |23 episodes |
| 1993
|Allan Michaels |Episode: "Conduct Unbecoming" |
| 1993
|Anderson |Television film |
| 1993
|data-sort-value="Big Comfy Couch, The" | The Big Comfy Couch |Wobbly |2 episodes |
| 1994
|data-sort-value="Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, The" | The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon |Tiny / Big Giant |Episode: "Dudley Meets a Tiny Giant" |
| 1996
|Hooch Wilson |Television film |
| 1997
|Conrad Shorty |Episode: "The Outrage" |
| 1997
|Jake Rizzo |Episode: "Past Tense" |
| 1998
|data-sort-value="Pretender, The" | The Pretender |Vincent LaPahie |Episode: "Hope & Prey" |
| 1999
|Justice |Lou Belcourt | rowspan="2" |Television film |
| 2000
|data-sort-value="Virginian, The" | The Virginian |Buster |
| 2001
|data-sort-value="West Wing, The" | The West Wing |Jack Lone Feather |Episode: "The Indians in the Lobby" |
| 2001
|Dice |Ernie Ross |6 episodes |
| 2002
|data-sort-value="Job, The" | The Job |Injun Joe |Episode: "Soup" |
| 2002
|Thomas |Episode: "Sacred Ground" |
| 2002
|Captain Largo | rowspan="2" |2 episodes |
| 2003
|Marty C. Martyn |
| 2003
|George Twotrees |Episode: "Go West Young Ryder" |
| 2003
|Iktome |Television film |
| 2003
|Dr. Marcus |Episode: "The Taking of Crows" |
| 2003
|data-sort-value="Thief of Time, A" | A Thief of Time | rowspan="2" |Captain Largo | rowspan="2" |Television film |
| 2003 |
| 2004
|data-sort-value="Chris Isaak Show, The" | The Chris Isaak Show |Larry |Episode: "The Family of Man" |
| 2006
|Judas George | rowspan="3" |Television film |
| 2006
|Detective Jeff Norstrom |
| 2006
|Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis |Alan Montour |
| 2007
|Gerry Keeshig |8 episodes |
| 2007
|Ray |Television film |
| 2008
|data-sort-value="Border, The" | The Border |Reserve Police Chief |Episode: "Gray Zone" |
| 2008–2009
|Shep |7 episodes |
| 2012
|Ray Delaronde |8 episodes |
| 2013, 2017
|Aaron Two Rivers |2 episodes |
| 2014–2015
|data-sort-value="Red Road, The" | The Red Road |Mac |6 episodes |
| 2015–2016
|Zoo |Anik |2 episodes |
| 2017
|Milo |4 episodes |
| 2019
|Blackwater |Charles Goodman |Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2021–2024
|Dan Twelvetrees |26 episodes |
| 2021
|Earl |2 episodes |
| 2021–2022
|Uncle Brownie |7 Episodes |
| 2022
|Chief Mabo |Episode: "A Damned Man" |
| 2022
|data-sort-value="English, The" | The English |John Clarke |2 Episodes |
| 2023
| data-sort-value="Curse, The" | The Curse | James Toledo | Episode: "Pressure's Looking Good So Far" |
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=0001200}}
{{Portal bar|Biography|Ontario|Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Canada|Music|R&B and Soul Music}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Farmer, Gary}}
Category:People from the County of Brant
Category:Canadian male film actors
Category:Canadian male television actors
Category:Canadian male voice actors
Category:First Nations male actors
Category:Male actors from Ontario
Category:First Nations male singers
Category:Canadian blues singers
Category:Six Nations of the Grand River people
Category:Wolf Clan of the Iroquois