Wes Studi to make Oscars history for Native American actors

LOS ANGELES — When Cherokee actor Wes Studi was thinking about moving to Los Angeles to take a shot at being an actor in the 1980s, he asked a friend if it was a good idea. There aren’t many Native American actors.” Instead of a deterrent, Studi took that as a plus. It’s been very helpful over the years to have experienced life outside of entertainment.” When he arrived in Los Angeles, a now defunct organization called the American Indian Registry helped him get his start. It led to Studi securing representation and booking Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning “Dances With Wolves,” which then put him on Michael Mann’s radar for what would be his most memorable role to date: Magua in “The Last of the Mohicans.” “I thank Michael Mann for having an open mind in terms of expanding the character of Magua to the point that he was sort of an antihero, but he had his qualities. “He and the writer were open to that were creating more of a three-dimensional character.” Mann would then go on to cast Studi again in “Heat” as an Los Angeles police detective — a somewhat rare opportunity for Studi to play a character who wasn’t primarily defined by his ethnicity.