Mainstream Hollywood Actors with Native ancestry

Salli Richardson

Mainstream Hollywood Actors with Native ancestry / NEXT

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This used to be a page where I kept a listing of those actors who were rumored to be Native American. Lately I'm being told of more and more actors who look white, though they're actually a very high percentage Native American. There's no point putting them in the directory of Native Americans who look Native, so I'm putting them here instead (chiefly because the actor directory is being used by casting directors - I seem to be forever whittling away on that directory to cater to those - they look for those who look Native American). So this list is not only of high profile actors anymore.

Though when a Native American actor who looks Native makes it as a cross over actor or gets big parts, I'll often list him here as well as in the main directory on the site.

A. Martinez. On TV. Well known Latino/native looking actor. (I've heard from two sources that he's 1/2 Blackfeet. Also heard that he got information from his grandmother that he had Blackfeet ancestry when he was cast in an NA part. He's probably not all 1/2 Blackfeet, though). He's joining the cast on General Hospital as Roy DiLucca.
Anthony Quinn (Irish father, Mexican Indian mother. In his 1972 autobiography " Original Sin", he describes his Mexican Indian heritage)
Ara Celi (Mexican/NA - according to fan)
Ava Gardner (Rumored to have Eastern Cherokee roots. She says in her autobiography that she's Scots Irish. No mention of Native American. I got an e-mail from someone who's Tuscarora. He says she's actually Tuscarora/Scots Irish, but that it's an honest mistake if she thought she was Cherokee).
Benjamin Bratt (Qechua descent - Peruvian tribe, on his mother's side)
Billy Bob Thornton (1/4 Choctaw)
Billy Wirth. (Billy says he's Indian on his mother's side of the family from the Iowa/Utah area. Jewish father).
Branscombe Richmond. (Part Aleut. Branscombe told me so himself - on the phone)
Brian Austin Green from Beverly Hills 90210 (Scottish/Italian/Cherokee/Hungarian/Irish - not Jewish! - According to a TV guide).
Brian Van Holt (part Cherokee, according to an interview with Natalie Noel)
Burt Reynolds (Tribal affiliation: Cherokee. Accepted by the tribe, as far as I can tell. On Biography about Burt Reynolds recently, it was stated, that even though Burt had played Indians in films before, he is not Indian.).Official site, Profile, Filmography.
Cameron Diaz, Profile. Huge moviestar and babe at the moment. Diaz is 1/8 Indian according to rumour. Filmography.
Carmen Electra from Baywatch. (Rumored to have Cherokee ancestry). Filmography
Cher. Also known as Cherilyn Sarkasian. Singer and actress. (Tribal ancestry: Cherokee. According to her she's 1/16th Cherokee on her mother's side. Her father is Armenian and probably responsible for her dark looks). Profile, Filmography.
Chris Douglas (Cherokee and Scottish). page 2. Known primarily as Dylan on One Life To Live. He's off that show and only time will tell what his next major move will be. A Hollywood goodlooking/sensitive actor, more than a typical NA actor - so far!
Christopher Judge (Black/Cherokee)
Chuck Norris. (Tribal ancestry Cherokee. Unconfirmed. He's looking into it right now - 1997?). On TV, According to his autobiography "The Secrets Of Inner Strength" his father is Cherokee and his mother Irish. (Annie: That information is probably older than the one about him investigating his claim). Chuck Norris, Another Personal Hero, Chuck Norris Page, Filmography
Cindy Crawford (Rumored to have native roots in a Rolling Stone feature in 1994, Cindy doesn't confirm or deny it. Got a mail contesting the claim 5-12-98).
Clint Walker (1/4 Cherokee?). Starred in western TV series "Cheyenne". TV-Now
Clu Gulager (registered Cherokee)
Corbin Bernsen. (Cherokee) Son of Jeanne Cooper
Della Reese (Cherokee-African American. From a fan May 1st 1999: She was on "The Rosie O' Donnell Show" a few weeks ago and stated that her mother was a full blooded Cherokee.). Plays Tess on "Touched by an Angel"
Demi Moore (said PRIVATELY that she has Cherokee heritage)
Dennis Weaver (registered Cherokee)
Don Johnson. Have absolutely no idea if this is true. Heard said he has Native ancestry
Elvis Presley. (Tribal affiliation: Cherokee). Filmography.
Fred Ward. Don't know if he's NA. He played Joe Leaphorn in Black Wind. He doesn't look like an Indian as far as I can tell. There are also the rumours that there were no NA actors in that movie. On the other hand, he also played NA in Thunderheart. IMDb has the information he's Scotch-Irish and Cherokee. Filmography
Gail Smith (Black/Blackfoot/Narrangansett - according to fan)
Graham Greene II (Oneida)
Hank Cheyne (Yaqui ancestry, according to himself). Known from Sunset Beach. Chat transcript: <snip>I have a percentage of Yaqui, from my father's side.... I take a lot of pride that I have Native American blood in me. I feel that it grounds me.<snip>
Heather Locklear (part Lumbee - recognized by the tribe)
Hunter Tylo - aka Deborah Morehart (Tribal Affiliation: Cherokee. According to her IMDb bio she's about 45% on her mother's side. I have no other confirmation on this). Filmography.
James Duval. Says a fan: This kid was in ID4. He played the son of the crazy pilot guy who kamikazied into the alien ship to save the planet. Claims one fourth native blood. Seems to play 'mixed up kids' a lot. Cute. Was in an NA movie recently.
James Earl Jones (frequently has cited in interviews a mixed Black Irish Cherokee ancestry - this is a common combination in the South)
James Garner. Filmography and long bio. (His IMDb bio indicates he's part Cherokee Indian).
Jason London. (Tribal affiliation: Cherokee). Jeremy London's twin brother. Filmography.
Jeanne Cooper (both parents born on Cherokee reservation. Accepted by FAITA as NA). Soap actress from "The Young and the Restless". Mature woman.
Jeremy London, (Tribal affiliation: Cherokee). Known from "Party of Five". Jason London's twin brother. Filmography.
Jesse Borrego. (Mexican. Couldn't prove his Apache ancestry. Also some talk he has Aztec ancestry. A fan feels he's probably Chicano Apache from Texas). Starred in Tecumseh, his only NA part.
Jessica Alba. (Half Mexican, according to a fan. A Canadian TV magazine over a year ago stated that she had mixed heritage, including native. She particularly said that her grandmother was from Quebecois, where there is a huge presence of native blood mixed with the French Canadians).
Jessica Biel (German/French/English/Choctaw, and a lot of others things too, according to a People interview)
Johnny Cash. The grand old man of country music. (Tribal ancestry: Cherokee. Unconfirmed). Filmography.
Johnny Depp (Cherokee maternal grandfather according to Depp himself). On TV, Profile, Filmography.
Jon Leguiziamo (Mayan ancestry. Columbia)
Kim Basinger (When she was on the cover of Instyle Magazine March 1998 she mentioned that she's Cherokee, Irish and Swedish blood. IMDb also has the info that her grandmother was part Cherokee Indian). Filmography
Link Baker (Scottish, Swedish and Carcross/Tagish First Nations)
Lisa Bonet. I don't remember for sure, but think I've read that her father was half Black, half Indian.
Lou Diamond Phillips
Mario Van Peebles (a fan said he had Cherokee ancestry. I've heard he had some Pacific type ancestry. Any of you have any definite info?).
Mitch Longley. Dr. Matt Harmon in "Port Charles"
Molly Culver (Choctaw/Chickasaw). Tasha Dexter on the TV series "VIP." She was on "Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher" 031500 and she talked about being Indian: "...my grandmother is full blooded Chickasaw -- Choctaw/Chickasaw -- from Oklahoma."
Mykelti Williamson (part Blackfeet)
Noah Hathaway (Mohawk). Known from The Neverending Story.
Paul Satterfield Jr. (1/4 Cherokee) nephew of Rita Coolidge
Quentin Tarantino (Rumored to be 1/2 Cherokee. Unconfirmed). Filmography.
Rebecca Gayheart (Italian/Irish/German/Cherokee - according to fan)
Richard Dean Anderson (Scottish, Swedish, Norwegian and Mohawk)
Robert Beltran , On TV , Official site. (Mexican/American Indian). Filmography
Robert Mitchum. (Rumored to have native ancestry) Filmography.
Salli Richardson (Black/Tribal affiliation: Cherokee)
Sam Eliot (Possible Part Cherokee. Got a mail contesting the claim 5-12-98)
Shannon Elizabeth (Syrian/Lebanese/English/French/Cherokee, according to her online bio)
Stepfanie Kramer (Eastern Cherokee. She seems to be accepted by FAIE and others as NA). Dee Dee McCall on Hunter. She released her debut album 1999. Filmography.
Sydney Penny (half Cherokee?). Soap opera actress.
Teri Hatcher (source of rumor unknown. Got a mail contesting the claim 5-12-98).
Tommy Lee Jones. Says a fan: I watched an interview with him on Inside the Actor's Studio and he was asked about his "Comanche" heritage. He stated very strongly that he was NOT Comanche but that he had Cherokee ancestory....and that it was "way back". New article
Traci Bingham from Baywatch (Rumored to have native ancestry). Filmography.
Val Kilmer (possibly as much as 1/4 Cherokee)

Also check this one: Mixed hispanic/Native American

Take a look at this page about Fake indians for people who had Native parts in movies without being the real thing. Eh, this page is no longer completely accurate. The owner is working on an upgrade, mgiht take some time before he gets it right. Wanna help?

Webmaster: My name is Annie. I'm not native, and therefore not an authority on native issues. I do make mistakes, so please correct me and help me make this a better site. NativeCelebs is about Native American Indians in the entertainment industry.
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