Adam Ruebin Beach (born November 11, 1972 in Ashern, Manitoba) is a Canadian Saulteaux actor.
He is best known for his roles as Victor in Smoke Signals, Tommy in Walker, Texas Ranger, Kickin' Wing in Joe Dirt, Marine Private First Class Ira Hayes in Flags of Our Fathers, Private Ben Yazzie in Windtalkers, Dr. Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa) in Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee, Chester Lake in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Officer Jim Chee in the film adaptations of Skinwalkers, Coyote Waits, and A Thief Of Time. He is currently starring in Arctic Air, and as Slipknot in Suicide Squad (2016).
Born in Ashern, Manitoba, Adam Beach grew up with his two brothers on the Lake Manitoba/Dog Creek First Nation Reserve at Lake Manitoba. When Beach was eight years old, his mother, Sally Beach, eight months pregnant with a baby girl, was killed by a drunk driver. Eight weeks after his mother's death, the family stricken with grief, Adam's father, Dennis, was discovered to have drowned nearby the community. It is unclear whether Mr. Beach's death was an accident or if he committed suicide. Adam Beach and his two brothers initially went to live with their grandmother, who had spent her own childhood in one of the assimilationist Indian residential schools. He lived with his grandmother from age 8 to age 12. Five years after their parents' deaths, the three brothers were taken to Winnipeg to live with an aunt and uncle: Agnes and Chris Beach (his father's brother). Adam refers to his Uncle Chris as "dad".
Beach attended a drama class at Gordon Bell High School. He began performing in local theatre productions, and eventually dropped out of school to take a lead role at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People.
Adam Beach has been married twice and has three children. He had two sons, Noah and Luke, with his first wife Meredith Porter. He did not have any children with his second wife, Tara Mason. The marriage to Tara Mason lasted from 2003-2007. In 2008 his then domestic partner Summer Tiger gave birth to a daughter, Phoenix. He is, however, no longer in a relationship with Summer. His current girlfriend is Leah Gibson, his co-star on Arctic Air. The two met and fell for each other on set, according to a recent Huffington Post interview with Adam Beach.
Filmography associated with this actor:
- Lost in the Barrens
- Spirit Rider
- Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
- A Boy Called Hate
- Dance Me Outside
- My Indian Summer
- The Rez
- Coyote Summer
- Song of Hiawatha
- Smoke Signals
- Mystery, Alaska
- The Last Stop
- Joe Dirt
- Now & Forever
- The Art of Woo
- Windtalkers
- Skinwalkers
- Posers
- Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story
- The Big Empty
- Coyote Waits
- A Thief of Time
- Sawtooth
- Johnny Tootall
- Four Brothers
- Flags of Our Fathers
- Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
- Moose TV
- Luna: Spirit of the Whale
- Comanche Moon
- Turok: Son of Stone
- Older than America
- Help
- Wapos Bay: The Series
- A Warriors Heart
- Big Love
- The Stranger
- Hawaii Five-0
- The Stepson
- Cowboys & Aliens
- Tommy Prince: Prince of the Devils
- Combat Hospital
- Arctic Air
- Suicide Squad (2016)
- The New Mutants
