Wes Studi

Wesley "Wes" Studi (born December 17, 1947) is an award-winning full-blood Native American actor and film producer from Nofire Hollow in the Cherokee Nation, Oklahoma, and who has won critical acclaim for his portrayal of Native Americans in film.

He has appeared in Academy Award-winning films, such as Dances with Wolves (1990), The Last of the Mohicans (1992), and the Academy Award-nominated films Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) and The New World (2005). He is also known for portraying Sagat in Street Fighter (1994) and appeared in the NBC series Kings and in Avatar (2009).

Early life and education

Studi was born Wesley Studi in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma, a rural area in Tahlequah named after his mother's family. He is the son of Maggie Studie, a housekeeper, and Andy Studie, a ranch hand. Until he attended grade school, he spoke only Cherokee at home. He attended Chilocco Indian Agricultural School for high school and graduated in 1964; his vocational major was in dry cleaning.