Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian First Nations (Cayuga) actor and musician. He is best known for his Independent Spirit Award-nominated roles in Powwow Highway (1989), Dead Man (1995) and Smoke Signals (1998). He briefly reprised his role as Nobody from Dead Man in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).
He is the founding director of an urban Indian radio network, Aboriginal Voices Radio Network.
Early life and education Farmer was born in Ohsweken, Ontario into the Cayuga Nation and Wolf Clan"The Scene" , HeraldTimesScene.com; accessed December 26, 2015. of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy."Gary Farmer is a member of the Cayuga nation within the Haudenosaunee" , bcc.ctc.edu; accessed December 26, 2015.Gary Farmer profile , NativeNetworks.si.edu; accessed December 26, 2015.Gary Farmer Biography, yahoo.com; accessed December 28, 2015. He grew up in the American city of Buffalo where his father worked as a crane operator. His second cousin once removed is fellow actor Graham Greene. Farmer attended Syracuse University and Ryerson Polytechnic University, where he studied photography and film production.
Career Acting Farmer's first acting role was in the 1976 play On The Rim of a Curse, about the Beothuk. His first major television role was on the CBC's Spirit Bay. He subsequently played police captain Joe Stonetree on the syndicated TV series Forever Knight, and Chief Tom in the CBC first nations TV series The Rez. Farmer is best known for his role as spiritual Native American guide Nobody in Dead Man. Farmer reprised the role for a cameo in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, also directed by Jim Jarmusch.
Farmer has performed in both the film and television adaptations of Tony Hillerman's novels. He played "Cowboy" Albert Dashee (Hopi) in the 1991 film The Dark Wind, and Captain Largo (Navajo) in the television adaptations of Coyote Waits (2003) and A Thief of Time (2004).
He played a supporting character Burt in the 2001 crime thriller The Score starring Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Ed Norton, Angela Bassett and Paul Soles. Farmer appeared in two episodes of the popular children's television show Big Comfy Couch as Wobbly.
Farmer played the role of Fagin in Twist, the 2003 independent adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic novel Oliver Twist, and the role of "Iktome" in the 2003 all Native American cast TV film Dreamkeeper, directed by Steve Barron. He played Deputy Bob in Demon Knight. Other major roles included Henry Colville, with Kris Kristofferson, in Disappearances (2006) and Jack in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013) by Arnaud Desplechin.
He recorded the audiobook version of Louise Erdrich's 2012 novel The Round House, winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction.
Farmer appeared in season 1 of the Sundance TV series The Red Road in 2014.
In 2020, Farmer had brief appearances in the films First Cow and The Dark Divide.
Farmer appeared as the recurring character Uncle Brownie in the highly-acclaimed FX series Reservation Dogs from 2021-2023, and as Dan Twelvetrees in the Syfy series Resident Alien.
He was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for his roles in the movies Powwow Highway, Dead Man, and Smoke Signals
Music He has a blues band called Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers. The band has released two CDs, Love Songs and Other Issues in 2007 and Lovesick Blues in 2009.
Other Farmer is a regular supporter of University of Nebraska Omaha Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow, held a week before the Gathering of Nations Powwow. He makes appearances selling his CDs and occasionally giving speeches. The University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) considers Farmer a "very good friend". Farmer received an honorary degree from Fort Lewis College in 2022.
Filmography
Film +YearTitleRole Notes1984Police AcademySidewalk Store OwnerOverdrawn at the Memory BankTooby1987 The BelieversMover The Big TownDuke1988Blue City SlammersDougPowwow HighwayPhilbert Bono1989RenegadesGeorge1990Still Life: The Fine Art of MurderBilly1991 The Dark WindCowboy Albert Dashee1992Forever KnightCaptain Joe Stonetree1993Ed and His Dead MotherBig Lar1994Sioux CityRussell White1995Demon KnightDeputy Bob MartelDead ManNobody1996Henry & VerlinHenryLiliesTimothée1998Smoke SignalsArnold JosephStolen HeartWhitaker1999Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiNobodyTouchedGeorgeHeaterBen2001Delivering MiloMax The ScoreBurtRoute 666Shaman2002SkinsVerdell Weasel TailAngels Don't Sleep HereLou WashingtonAdaptationBuster Baxley2003 The Big EmptyIndian BobTwistFagin The Republic of LoveTed2004EvergreenJimSawtoothSeven Thumbs20053 NeedlesWinker at Support Group2006DisappearancesHerny CovilleOne Night with YouMomo2007All HatBilly CaanInterventionBob2008Swing VoteCurly2009RejectionAlbert The TimekeeperCook2010Good NeighboursRoland BrandtInk: A Tale of CaptivityAlderman A Windigo TaleHarold2011 A Bird of the AirCharles BallardCalifornia IndianRich KnightForeverlandMoe2012Path of SoulsEddie Benton Benai2013Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains IndianJackWinter in the BloodLame Bull2015Peter and JohnSmoke2019 The Incredible 25th Year of Mitzi BearclawOliver YellowdogFirst CowTotillicumBlood QuantumMoonSanta FakeSanta Claus2020CowboysRobert Spottedbird The Dark DivideDensmore2021Blood Brothers: Civil WarSmokeRun Woman RunSelf2022Quantum CowboysCalvin2023Hey, Viktor!Gary2026How We Stand
Television YearTitleRole Notes1983American PlayhouseToobyEpisode: "Overdrawn at the Memory Bank"1985 The UndergradsCastroTelevision film1986Philip Marlowe, Private EyeMasters' BodyguardEpisode: "Spanish Blood"Doing LifeFirst PrisonerTelevision filmUnnatural CausesChristmas EveJody1988Miami ViceWilsonEpisode: "Bad Timing"9BHarry DerekEpisode: "Dropout"1989Friday the 13th: The SeriesRickEpisode: "Wedding Bell Blues"1990Sparks: The Price of PassionPeteTelevision filmChina BeachDreamwalkerEpisode: "Strange Brew"1991PlymouthToddTelevision film1992E.N.G.Detective Brant2 episodes1992–1994Forever KnightCapt. Joe Stonetree /
Detective Norton23 episodes1993Street LegalAllan MichaelsEpisode: "Conduct Unbecoming"Blown AwayAndersonTelevision film The Big Comfy CouchWobbly2 episodes1994 The Adventures of Dudley the DragonTiny / Big GiantEpisode: "Dudley Meets a Tiny Giant"1996Moonshine HighwayHooch WilsonTelevision film1997Promised LandConrad ShortyEpisode: "The Outrage"GhostwriterJake RizzoEpisode: "Past Tense"1998 The PretenderVincent LaPahieEpisode: "Hope & Prey"1999JusticeLou BelcourtTelevision film2000 The VirginianBuster2001 The West WingJack Lone FeatherEpisode: "The Indians in the Lobby"DiceErnie Ross6 episodes2002 The JobInjun JoeEpisode: "Soup"Screech OwlsThomasEpisode: "Sacred Ground"SkinwalkersCaptain Largo2 episodes2003Lord Have Mercy!Marty C. MartynOdd Job JackGeorge TwotreesEpisode: "Go West Young Ryder"DreamkeeperIktomeTelevision filmMutant XDr. MarcusEpisode: "The Taking of Crows" A Thief of TimeCaptain LargoTelevision filmCoyote Waits2004 The Chris Isaak ShowLarryEpisode: "The Family of Man"2006One Dead IndianJudas GeorgeTelevision filmDoomstownDetective Jeff NorstromIndian Summer: The Oka CrisisAlan Montour2007Moose TVGerry Keeshig8 episodesElijahRayTelevision film2008 The BorderReserve Police ChiefEpisode: "Gray Zone"2008–2009Easy MoneyShep7 episodes2012BlackstoneRay Delaronde8 episodes2013, 2017LongmireAaron Two Rivers2 episodes2014–2015 The Red RoadMac6 episodes2015–2016ZooAnik2 episodes2017Guilt Free ZoneMilo4 episodes2019Blackwater Charles GoodmanEpisode: "Pilot"2021–2025Resident AlienDan Twelvetrees31 episodes2021Rutherford FallsEarl2 episodes2021–2022Reservation DogsUncle Brownie7 Episodes2022Our Flag Means DeathChief MaboEpisode: "A Damned Man" The EnglishJohn Clarke2 Episodes 2023 The Curse James Toledo Episode: "Pressure's Looking Good So Far"
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