Irene Bedard

Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress, who has played many Native American characters in a variety of films. She is perhaps best known for the role of Suzy Song in the 1998 film Smoke Signals, an adaptation from a Sherman Alexie collection of short stories, as well as for providing the speaking voice and being the physical model for the title character in the 1995 animated film Pocahontas.

Irene Bedard
Bedard at a powwow in Livingston, Texas, June 2007.
Born (1967-07-22) July 22, 1967
Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
OccupationActress
Years active1994–present
Spouse(s)
Deni Wilson
​
(
m. 1993; div. 2012)
Children1

In 2012, she started "Sleeping Lady Films" and "Waking Giants Productions" with Canadian businessman Thom Denomme. The production companies, based out of Anchorage and Santa Fe, New Mexico, are dedicated to bringing stories that are both positive and inspirational from Indian Country to the world.

Early life and career

Bedard was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and is of Inuit and Cree ancestry.[1] Her first role was as Mary Crow Dog in the 1994 television production, Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, which depicted the 1970s standoff between the US government and citizens of several Native nations, including many of the Pine Ridge Reservation, at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. She is probably best known as the voice of the eponymous heroine in the 1995 Disney animated film Pocahontas and its direct-to-video 1998 sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. Bedard was also the physical model for the character. She appeared in a different take of the story in Terence Malick's 2005 film The New World, as Pocahontas's mother, Nonoma Winanuske Matatiske.

Bedard graduated from A.J. Dimond High School in Anchorage, Alaska in 1985. Bedard attended The University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she studied Musical Theatre. In 2005, she was cast in the television mini-series Into the West as Margaret "Light Shines" Wheeler.[2] In the 2017 music video for "Family Feud" (a song by Jay-Z), she plays a Co-President of the United States in the future.[3][4]

She was chosen in 1995 as one of People magazine's '50 Most Beautiful People'.[1]

Personal life

Bedard married singer Deni Wilson in 1993. They have a son, Quinn Wilson, born in 2003. In November 2010, it was revealed that Bedard was being sexually and physically abused by Wilson throughout their marriage, taking her earnings and forbidding her to work in her career field unless he specifically approved the project, according to her niece Alia Davis. The couple eventually divorced in 2012.[5]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1994 Squanto: A Warrior's Tale Nakooma
1995 Pocahontas Pocahontas (voice)
1996 Navajo Blues Audrey Wyako
1997 Song of Hiawatha Minnehaha
Det store flip Oglala AKA, Wild Flowers
1998 6/29 Laura Cooper
Naturally Native Tanya Lewis
Smoke Signals Suzy Song
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World Pocahontas (voice) Direct-to-video
12 Bucks Babe
1999 Wildflowers Ruby
2000 Pussykat
2001 Your Guardian Katherine 'Kat' Damon
2003 Paris Sandy
Greasewood Flat Abbey
Edge of America Annie Shorty TV movie
2005 Planting Melvin Billie Lawrence
Miracle at Sage Creek Sunny
Love's Long Journey Miriam Red Hawk McClain TV movie
The New World Pocahontas's Mother (Nonoma)
2007 Cosmic Radio K.C.
Tortilla Heaven Liberata
The Red Chalk Eve
2008 Turok: Son of Stone Catori (voice) Direct-to-video
2011 The Tree of Life Messenger
Timberwolf Eleni Pre-Production
2013 Vertical Lucy Mills
2014 Ron and Laura Take Back America Mrs. Alma
2015 Songs My Brothers Taught Me Lisa Winters
2017 Spreading Darkness Marci Gippolin
2018 Family Feud Co-President of the United States Music video
Ralph Breaks the Internet Pocahontas (voice)
2019 The Bygone Mrs. Call
2019 The Harbinger Floating Hawk post-production

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1994 Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee Mary Crow Dog TV movie
1995 The Marshal Melissa Carey Episode: "Twoslip"
1996 Grand Avenue Reyna TV movies
Crazy Horse Black Buffalo Woman
Adventures from the Book of Virtues Morning Light and Sharp Eyes / Chief's Daughter (voice) Episodes: "Honesty" and "Perseverance"
The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest Alice Starseer (voice) Episodes: "Return of the Anasazi"; "Trouble on the Colorado"
1997 Profiler Maddy Duvall Episode: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
True Women Tobe TV movie
1998 Two for Texas Sana TV movie
1999 Blood Money Naomi Lister TV movie
1999–2001 Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles General Miriam Redwing (voice) 4 episodes
2000 The Lost Child Grace TV movie
2001 The Outer Limits Callie Whitehorse Landau Episode: "In the Blood"
The Agency Diah Siagian Episode: "The Year of Living Dangerously"
House of Mouse Pocahontas (voice) Episode: "Thanks to Minnie"
2004 What's New, Scooby-Doo? Cody Long (voice) Episode: "New Mexico, Old Monster"
2005 Higglytown Heroes Forest Ranger Hero (voice) Episode: "Fran Takes a Hike/Mystery at Kip's House"
Into the West Margaret Light Shines Episodes: "Hell on Wheels"; "Casualties of War"; "Ghost Dance"
2008–2009 The Spectacular Spider-Man Jean DeWolff (voice) 4 episodes
2012 Young Justice: Invasion Shelly Longshadow (voice) 1 episode
2012-2015 Longmire May Stillwater 3 episodes
2017 The Mist Kimi Lucero 9 episodes
2018 Westworld Wichapi Episode: "Kiksuya"
2020 FBI: Most Wanted Mary Lou Skye 2 episodes

Video games
Year Title Role Notes
1995 Animated Storybook: Pocahontas Pocahontas

Awards and nominations
YearAwardCategoryFilmResult
1995Golden GlobeBest Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TVLakota Woman: Siege at Wounded KneeNominated
Western Heritage AwardsBronze Wrangler - Television Feature FilmWon
1999Two for TexasWon
2004American Indian LA Film and TV AwardsBest Lead Actress in a Feature FilmGreasewood FlatWon
2006NAMIC Vision AwardsBest Dramatic PerformanceInto the WestWon
Western Heritage AwardsBronze Wrangler - Television Feature FilmWon
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References
  1. "Irene Bedard". PEOPLE.com. May 8, 1995.
  2. Alvin H. Marill (11 October 2010). Movies Made for Television: 2005-2009. Scarecrow Press. p. 48. ISBN 978-0-8108-7659-0.
  3. Meagan Fredette. "Celebrities in Jay Z Family Feud Video Recap". Refinery29.com. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  4. Shannon Carlin. "Who Plays Female President Jay-Z "Family Feud" Native". Refinery29.com. Retrieved 2018-01-08.
  5. "Irene Bedard Abused". Newspaper Rock. Retrieved 2015-02-28.
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