Edward Spears (born November 29, 1982) is an Indigenous American actor. He is a member of the Kul Wičaša Oyate Lakota from the Lower Brulé Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

Early life

Spears was born in Chamberlain, South Dakota, near the Lower Brulé Indian Reservation. He has five brothers and one sister; his older brother Michael is also an actor. Spears grew up on the Lower Brulé Indian Reservation until the first grade when his family moved to Pierre, South Dakota. After that, his family moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he grew up and attended Aberdeen Central High School.

Career

Acting

Spears has been in the spotlight since age ten, starting with his first role in TNT's production of Geronimo, which was shot in Arizona. Spears has said his most rewarding role to date was Shane Chasing Horse in the 2003 film Dreamkeeper. When cast for the lead in the 2004 film Black Cloud (directed by Rick Schroder), he trained for three months with boxing trainer Jimmy Gambia to perfect his boxing skills before filming started. The film is about a Navajo boxer training for the Golden Gloves with the promise of a spot at the Olympics while struggling with the secrets of his family's past. One of the scenes was filmed in Las Vegas during the 2003 Golden Gloves National Championship. In 2011 and 2012, Spears played the popular Joseph Black Moon in AMC's TV series Hell On Wheels. Spears was the voice of "Grey Beaver" in the 2018 animated film White Fang. Recent TV spots include a 2019 supporting role in season 2 of the TV series Yellowstone and a cameo in season 2 of Rutherford Falls on Peacock.

Other work

In 2005, Spears and his brother Michael modeled for Cochiti Pueblo fashion designer Virgil Ortiz for his "Indigene" clothing line, and were featured on the cover of the August 2005 issue of New Mexico Magazine.

Awards

Personal life

Spears co-hosted the 39th Annual American Indian Film Institute Awards in 2014 along with actress Tonantzin Carmelo. Spears attended and was a mentor at the second annual HatcH Audiovisual Festival in Bozeman, Montana in October 2005. Spears and his brother Michael also worked with Native Wind and ICOUP (Intertribal Council on Utility Policy), of which their father Patrick Spears was formerly president. ICOUP was formed in 1994 to provide a forum for utility issues discussion from regulatory and economic perspectives. Spears speaks some Lakota. He is an avid outdoorsman, powwow singer, and Traditional and Grass dancer. He also travels nationally as a keynote speaker. He currently resides in Montana.

Filmography