Interview with walker from FTWD, Michael Greyeyes
Aug 15, 2017 16:28:19 GMT -5
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Post by walkingdeadrules on Aug 15, 2017 16:28:19 GMT -5
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An Extensive Interview With ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Star Michael Greyeyes
Michael Greyeyes, with an upcoming role as Sitting Bull in Woman Walks Ahead—says Qaletaqa Walker is a dream come true on Fear the Walking Dead
Vincent Schilling • August 14, 2017
As ICMN has previously reported, fans of the Walking Dead franchise in Indian country have a lot to be excited about, as the latest episodes in season three of Fear the Walking Dead feature the powerful Native Cree actor Michael Greyeyes. But this is not the only big break for Greyeyes, he also co-stars alongside A-list actress Jessica Chastain in his upcoming role as Sitting Bull in Woman Walks Ahead.
In Fear the Walking Dead, Michael Greyeyes portrays Qaletaqa Walker, a former tribal attorney and leader of the Native American tribe on the fictional Black Hat Reservation community. Though Michael Greyeyes originally signed on for six episodes, he was signed on to film over twice that amount to become an integral part of the Fear the Walking Dead’s post-apocalyptic narrative.
Michael Greyeyes has been at the forefront of performance art for the past 25 years. In addition to his role on Fear the Walking Dead as Qaletaqa Walker and a recent San Diego Comic Con appearance, is also known for his roles in Jimmy P, The New World, Dance Me Outside—and has an upcoming role as Sitting Bull in Woman Walks Ahead
Greyeyes is also a celebrated choreographer, director and educator, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre in the School of Arts, Performance, Media and Design with a resumé that spans over 25 years. From his beginnings with The National Ballet of Canada and the company of Eliot Feld in New York City.
In an extensive interview with Michael Greyeyes, the Plains Cree actor told ICMN about the importance of family, Native representation in the film industry, his career and about his role on Fear the Walking Dead, which he says is a dream come true.
Can you tell us about yourself as a Native actor?
I’m at a point in my career — I’ve been in this business for 25 years — where I’ve been working in Canada and thrown a lot of energy into my theater company. I am also a fully-tenured professor at York University which is where I’ve been for 12 years. I was the graduate program director of the MFA in my department. This year, I am on sabbatical leave.
You are Qelataqa Walker in the hugely popular TV series, Fear the Walking Dead.
It is such a boss role and the response from the community is so great. They are like, ‘it’s about time!’ It is huge. Fear the Walking Dead is a much different beast than The Walking Dead. I’ve been a big fan of The Walking Dead for seven years. Lots of Indians love the show and Fear the Walking Dead too.
When I told my friend Alex Rice from Kahnawake who is a fantastic actress. She said, ‘Indians are the best survivors, they are built for the apocalypse. If there is anybody that could survive this it’s going to be us.’
How does it feel to be standing at the front of it all?
I am thrilled. I auditioned for this back in February of this year. My representatives called me and they said they had an audition. At first I was like, ‘cool,’ then they said it was for Fear the Walking Dead and I was like ‘oh sweet!’ I am really a fan.
And then, I read it.
I knew it was a good audition because the writing was good. As an actor I was able to throw myself into it. As an actor it is easier to learn your lines and find you see things within the scenes if the writing is good. It wasn’t about set dressing, they were playing with tropes and notions of Indian-ness.
As a scholar, it doesn’t surprise me because I feel as though that they have taken some chances with representation and due to some of the choices they have made, they have brown families as fans. One actor is Cliff Curtis, who is Maori. I am not surprised because Fear the Walking Dead has been a leader. I do not see our faces and a lot of the shows out there.
How did you feel you got the part?
I was so gratified to get the part. At first I was really excited, and then they said it was a recurring character. Recurring means you are a guest star on the show. I thought, ‘wow two or three episodes.’ Then they said it was going to be for six episodes and I was like, ‘what?’ I was super jazzed because I realized six episodes means that this person is going to have some impact on the narrative.
As I started to get the scripts, I realized I was not just a cool sidebar. This is the principal narrative arc of the season. it’s the battle between the ranchers and the tribal nation on the Black Hat Reservation.
How does it feel in 2017, to be a contemporary Native actor on a series with millions of viewers?
It is really mind-blowing. Outside of our native communities, I think people forget about our invisibility. We are so invisible in representation, how the media treats us. In Canada it’s a bit different, we have APTN. But even in the mainstream shows, actors don’t play really huge parts.
So when I got to the set and we began film the Season 3, Episode 7, which is the unveiling episode, the assistant director came up to me and said, ‘How do you learn your lines? Are you one of those actors who reads their script 1,000 times? You are unbelievably prepared.’ I said, ‘Yes, that is the only way and the best way.’
He said he never had a guest show like me. That is incredible, because there are some very amazing actors on the show.
There is another actor on the show, Justin Rain, we have really bonded. He is a younger actor he is a promising guy and very smart. He plays Crazy Dog. His role expands throughout the season, which is fantastic! I think AMC, the writers of the show and Dave Eriksen are like “We did good, these are good actors.”
After working for a couple of episodes, they started to expand my presence even more. I ended up filming eight or nine episodes in addition to the six they originally hired me for. They were like, ‘We got a good one here people.’
What are your thoughts on the show realistically reflecting Native people even though it is a fantasy thriller?
For me, entertainment is very important. I have been a fan of the Zombie genre for two decades. I am hardcore, I buy these types of movies such as The Horde, 28 Days Later, I know them and quote them all. We are in a precarious place as a culture and this is the era of Trump and Brexit, environmental degradation, sovereignty, water. This Zombie genre is a distillation of all our fears, anxieties, all of the things inside our politic, it gives these thoughts and beliefs steroids.
Everything that was kind of a big deal becomes life or death in a post-apocalyptic world, literally life and death. This allows the writers and actors to say, ‘this is about survival, about the rawest kind of human emotion, state of being and need.’
That makes for exciting television and exciting commentary. There is a scene where Otto, a rancher, who expresses a racial sentiment mashed up against a edit where the character Luciana is then walking along the Mexican and U.S. border wall. I think they are killing it this season. They have taken the show to a new level.
People on the show, even Ruben Blades, who is a hero to me, said ‘This storyline is going to shake people. The audience is going to go nuts for this. We never see empowered indigenous characters that are unafraid.’
What I think is amazing about Qelataqa Walker is that he is an ex-lawyer, smart, articulate and passionate about the politics of his people.
In all of this, old rules and old paradigm’s are lost.
How did it feel to say, ‘The days of the white man’s courts are over?’
First of all it’s great writing. It was riveting for me as an indigenous man, a Cree man. I thought, ‘I get to say this on a show that has millions of viewers. This is like one of those moments. I was excited to get the part, but I had no idea that it would have the scope that this character is allowed.
There is a direct correlation between the ranchers in this series and a direct correlation between the tribal nation and Standing Rock. The amazing thing is we start the second part of the season talking about water.
The action of the tribal nation and my character blow the narrative sideways. The nation has humvees, a helicopter and we arrive on the ranch like a conquering Roman empire. That is the set up for part two of the season.
It only ratchets up from there. The writers turn the screws and put us into more intense situations. Qaletaqa becomes one of the leading characters of the show through the second half of the season. I was reading the scripts in my hotel room throwing down the scripts, screaming god-damn this is good!
An Extensive Interview With ‘Fear The Walking Dead’ Star Michael Greyeyes
Michael Greyeyes, with an upcoming role as Sitting Bull in Woman Walks Ahead—says Qaletaqa Walker is a dream come true on Fear the Walking Dead
Vincent Schilling • August 14, 2017
As ICMN has previously reported, fans of the Walking Dead franchise in Indian country have a lot to be excited about, as the latest episodes in season three of Fear the Walking Dead feature the powerful Native Cree actor Michael Greyeyes. But this is not the only big break for Greyeyes, he also co-stars alongside A-list actress Jessica Chastain in his upcoming role as Sitting Bull in Woman Walks Ahead.
In Fear the Walking Dead, Michael Greyeyes portrays Qaletaqa Walker, a former tribal attorney and leader of the Native American tribe on the fictional Black Hat Reservation community. Though Michael Greyeyes originally signed on for six episodes, he was signed on to film over twice that amount to become an integral part of the Fear the Walking Dead’s post-apocalyptic narrative.
Michael Greyeyes has been at the forefront of performance art for the past 25 years. In addition to his role on Fear the Walking Dead as Qaletaqa Walker and a recent San Diego Comic Con appearance, is also known for his roles in Jimmy P, The New World, Dance Me Outside—and has an upcoming role as Sitting Bull in Woman Walks Ahead
Greyeyes is also a celebrated choreographer, director and educator, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre in the School of Arts, Performance, Media and Design with a resumé that spans over 25 years. From his beginnings with The National Ballet of Canada and the company of Eliot Feld in New York City.
In an extensive interview with Michael Greyeyes, the Plains Cree actor told ICMN about the importance of family, Native representation in the film industry, his career and about his role on Fear the Walking Dead, which he says is a dream come true.
Can you tell us about yourself as a Native actor?
I’m at a point in my career — I’ve been in this business for 25 years — where I’ve been working in Canada and thrown a lot of energy into my theater company. I am also a fully-tenured professor at York University which is where I’ve been for 12 years. I was the graduate program director of the MFA in my department. This year, I am on sabbatical leave.
You are Qelataqa Walker in the hugely popular TV series, Fear the Walking Dead.
It is such a boss role and the response from the community is so great. They are like, ‘it’s about time!’ It is huge. Fear the Walking Dead is a much different beast than The Walking Dead. I’ve been a big fan of The Walking Dead for seven years. Lots of Indians love the show and Fear the Walking Dead too.
When I told my friend Alex Rice from Kahnawake who is a fantastic actress. She said, ‘Indians are the best survivors, they are built for the apocalypse. If there is anybody that could survive this it’s going to be us.’
How does it feel to be standing at the front of it all?
I am thrilled. I auditioned for this back in February of this year. My representatives called me and they said they had an audition. At first I was like, ‘cool,’ then they said it was for Fear the Walking Dead and I was like ‘oh sweet!’ I am really a fan.
And then, I read it.
I knew it was a good audition because the writing was good. As an actor I was able to throw myself into it. As an actor it is easier to learn your lines and find you see things within the scenes if the writing is good. It wasn’t about set dressing, they were playing with tropes and notions of Indian-ness.
As a scholar, it doesn’t surprise me because I feel as though that they have taken some chances with representation and due to some of the choices they have made, they have brown families as fans. One actor is Cliff Curtis, who is Maori. I am not surprised because Fear the Walking Dead has been a leader. I do not see our faces and a lot of the shows out there.
How did you feel you got the part?
I was so gratified to get the part. At first I was really excited, and then they said it was a recurring character. Recurring means you are a guest star on the show. I thought, ‘wow two or three episodes.’ Then they said it was going to be for six episodes and I was like, ‘what?’ I was super jazzed because I realized six episodes means that this person is going to have some impact on the narrative.
As I started to get the scripts, I realized I was not just a cool sidebar. This is the principal narrative arc of the season. it’s the battle between the ranchers and the tribal nation on the Black Hat Reservation.
How does it feel in 2017, to be a contemporary Native actor on a series with millions of viewers?
It is really mind-blowing. Outside of our native communities, I think people forget about our invisibility. We are so invisible in representation, how the media treats us. In Canada it’s a bit different, we have APTN. But even in the mainstream shows, actors don’t play really huge parts.
So when I got to the set and we began film the Season 3, Episode 7, which is the unveiling episode, the assistant director came up to me and said, ‘How do you learn your lines? Are you one of those actors who reads their script 1,000 times? You are unbelievably prepared.’ I said, ‘Yes, that is the only way and the best way.’
He said he never had a guest show like me. That is incredible, because there are some very amazing actors on the show.
There is another actor on the show, Justin Rain, we have really bonded. He is a younger actor he is a promising guy and very smart. He plays Crazy Dog. His role expands throughout the season, which is fantastic! I think AMC, the writers of the show and Dave Eriksen are like “We did good, these are good actors.”
After working for a couple of episodes, they started to expand my presence even more. I ended up filming eight or nine episodes in addition to the six they originally hired me for. They were like, ‘We got a good one here people.’
What are your thoughts on the show realistically reflecting Native people even though it is a fantasy thriller?
For me, entertainment is very important. I have been a fan of the Zombie genre for two decades. I am hardcore, I buy these types of movies such as The Horde, 28 Days Later, I know them and quote them all. We are in a precarious place as a culture and this is the era of Trump and Brexit, environmental degradation, sovereignty, water. This Zombie genre is a distillation of all our fears, anxieties, all of the things inside our politic, it gives these thoughts and beliefs steroids.
Everything that was kind of a big deal becomes life or death in a post-apocalyptic world, literally life and death. This allows the writers and actors to say, ‘this is about survival, about the rawest kind of human emotion, state of being and need.’
That makes for exciting television and exciting commentary. There is a scene where Otto, a rancher, who expresses a racial sentiment mashed up against a edit where the character Luciana is then walking along the Mexican and U.S. border wall. I think they are killing it this season. They have taken the show to a new level.
People on the show, even Ruben Blades, who is a hero to me, said ‘This storyline is going to shake people. The audience is going to go nuts for this. We never see empowered indigenous characters that are unafraid.’
What I think is amazing about Qelataqa Walker is that he is an ex-lawyer, smart, articulate and passionate about the politics of his people.
In all of this, old rules and old paradigm’s are lost.
How did it feel to say, ‘The days of the white man’s courts are over?’
First of all it’s great writing. It was riveting for me as an indigenous man, a Cree man. I thought, ‘I get to say this on a show that has millions of viewers. This is like one of those moments. I was excited to get the part, but I had no idea that it would have the scope that this character is allowed.
There is a direct correlation between the ranchers in this series and a direct correlation between the tribal nation and Standing Rock. The amazing thing is we start the second part of the season talking about water.
The action of the tribal nation and my character blow the narrative sideways. The nation has humvees, a helicopter and we arrive on the ranch like a conquering Roman empire. That is the set up for part two of the season.
It only ratchets up from there. The writers turn the screws and put us into more intense situations. Qaletaqa becomes one of the leading characters of the show through the second half of the season. I was reading the scripts in my hotel room throwing down the scripts, screaming god-damn this is good!