Line #51 Creator/IreneBedard


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7	-> ''"If you listen hard, everything has something to say."''
8
9	Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress, hailing from Alaska, and has been one of the more prominent Native American actors in recent years.
10
11	Her career started with a bang in ''Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee'' -- depicting [[BasedOnATrueStory a real life standoff between the U.S. government and Native Americans at a reservation in Wounded Knee back in the 1970s]]. She was nominated for a Golden Globe for her first role. Her second film was ''Squanto: A Warrior's Tale'', in which she played another lead role. But it's probably her third role that she is best known for.
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13	Disney's 33rd animated film was ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'', a dramatization surrounding the legend of UsefulNotes/{{Pocahontas}} and John Smith. After a long search, Irene won the title role and was the voice of Disney's first American Princess.[[note]]Although the real Pocahontas is not considered a princess in the European sense, she was presented as such to the English, and is an 'honorary' princess in the franchise, along with WesternAnimation/{{Mulan}}.[[/note]] Irene has continued to voice Pocahontas across the Disney franchise, even reprising her role twenty years later in ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''.
14
15	Other roles she might be recognized for are ManicPixieDreamGirl Suzy Song in ''Film/SmokeSignals'', Margaret Light Shines of ''Series/IntoTheWest'' or else Kimi Lucero of ''Series/TheMist''. In addition to acting, she also has her own production companies - Sleeping Lady Films and Walking Giants Productions - campaigning for better representation of Native Americans in media.
16	----
17	!! Selected filmography:
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19	* ''Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee'' (1994) - Mary Crow Dog (nominated for Golden Globe)
20	* ''Squanto: A Warrior's Tale'' (1994) - Nakooma
21	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}'' (1995) - Pocahontas (voice)
22	** ''WesternAnimation/PocahontasIIJourneyToANewWorld'' (1998)
23	** ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'' (2001)
24	** ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'' (2018)
25	* ''WesternAnimation/JonnyQuestTheRealAdventures'' (1996) - Alice Starseer (voice)
26	* ''Song of Hiawatha'' (1997) - Minnehaha
27	* ''Film/SmokeSignals'' (1998) - Suzy Song
28	* ''Series/{{The Outer Limits\|1995}}'' (2001) - Episode "In The Blood" - Callie Whitehorse Landau
29	* ''[[Film/TheNewWorld2005 The New World]]'' (2005) - Nonoma
30	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSpectacularSpiderMan'' (2008) - Jean [=DeWolff=] (voice)
31	* ''Film/TheTreeOfLife'' (2011) - Messenger
32	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Young Justice\|2010}}'' (2012) - Shelly Longshadow (voice)
33	* ''Series/{{Longmire}}'' (2012-2015) - May Stillwater
34	* ''Songs My Brothers Taught Me'' (2015) - Lisa Winters
35	* ''Series/TheMist'' (2017) - Kimi Lucero
36	* ''Series/{{Westworld}}'' (2018) - Wichapi
37	* ''Series/FBIMostWanted'' (2020) - Mary Lou Skye
38	* ''Series/{{The Stand\|2020}}'' (2020-2021) - Ray Brentner
39	* ''Film/HowToBlowUpAPipeline'' as Joanna
40	* ''Series/AvatarTheLastAirbender2024'' (2024) as Yagoda
41
42	!!Tropes associated with her work:
43
44	* AwesomeDearBoy:[[invoked]] She got on the plane to appear as Madam President in the Music/JayZ video for "Family Feud" not knowing what it was even about - all because she wanted to work with Creator/AvaDuVernay.
45	* CastingGag:
46	** In ''The New World'' she plays the mother of Pocahontas. What's more is that Creator/ChristianBale stars as John Rolfe, when he had voiced Thomas in the Disney version.
47	** In ''Naturally Native'', she and Pato Hoffman play in-laws, when they had been lovers in ''Lakota Woman''.
48	** In Irene's first film, ''Lakota Woman'', Creator/RussellMeans is featured as a character. The real Russell would later voice Pocahontas' father, Chief Powhatan.
49	* DawsonCasting:[[invoked]]
50	** Irene was 26 playing Mary Crow Dog at 18 in ''Lakota Woman''.
51	** Although Pocahontas was given an AgeLift so that she wasn't 12 as in real life, she's hinted to be younger than Irene's mid-20s when Irene voiced her.
52	* HairstyleInertia: She has always had the same black, long hair. She joked in a Q&A that she's occasionally tempted to cut it, but she's kept it long.
53	* HollywoodHypeMachine: Her Golden Globe-nominated performance in ''Lakota Woman'' and voicing Pocahontas caused her to get a lot of hype, being named the most recognisable Native American actress and getting featured on several 'Most Beautiful Women' lists. Sadly, she's still best known as Pocahontas - though she has been working away, so it seems more to do with lack of opportunities for indigenous actresses rather than talent.
54	* IAmNotSpock:[[invoked]] She's probably best known as the voice of Pocahontas, though she doesn't seem to mind.
55	--> "It's like getting to be Santa Claus."
56	* InkSuitActor: Many of Irene's tics were incorporated into Pocahontas.
57	* LifeImitatesArt:[[invoked]] After playing a real-life Native American activist in ''Lakota Woman'', she was inspired to take more of an interest in campaigning for better representation.
58	* NonSingingVoice:[[invoked]] Judy Kuhn does Pocahontas' singing. Irene however has been in a band, so she's able to sing.
59	* PlayingAgainstType:[[invoked]] ''Songs My Brothers Taught Me'' as an alcoholic and neglectful mother from whom her son can't wait to escape.
60	* ProductionPosse:[[invoked]] She worked with Terence Malik in ''The New World'' and ''Film/TheTreeOfLife''.
61	* RomanceOnTheSet:[[invoked]] She met her husband, Deni Wilson, while filming ''Squanto: A Warrior's Tale''.
62	* ThoseTwoActors:[[invoked]]
63	** Starred with Creator/TantooCardinal in ''Lakota Woman'', ''Film/SmokeSignals'', ''Grand Avenue'' and ''The Lost Child''.
64	** Creator/AugustSchellenberg starred with her in ''Grand Avenue'', ''Lakota Woman'', ''Crazy Horse'' and ''The New World''.
65	** Michelle St. John had an appearance in ''Film/SmokeSignals'' (not in the same scene as Irene) while also voicing Nakoma in ''WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}}''.
66	** Russell Means voiced her father in both ''Pocahontas'' movies, and starred in ''Song of Hiawatha''.
67	* TypeCasting:[[invoked]]
68	** Irene has a tendency to be cast as spiritual {{Indian maiden}}s. Even ''Film/SmokeSignals''—which is hardly stereotypical—has her in a ManicPixieDreamGirl–type role that comes close.
69	** She's played many real-life Native American women, two of whom were activists.
70	* UrExample: ''Lakota Woman'' saw Irene becoming the first Native American actress to headline an American film.
71	* VocalEvolution: Compare her readings in the 90's, to the present. Her voice sounds distinctly more breathy than it once was.
72	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:[[invoked]]
73	** Judy Kuhn was first cast to do Pocahontas' singing, and was told that she would do the speaking if they couldn't find a Native American actress. Irene was ultimately cast.
74	** She was announced as directing an adaptation of Velma Wallis' ''Two Old Women'', as Irene was a fan of the novel. However, the project never materialised.

Context Creator / IreneBedard