Arthur Redcloud facts for kids
Arthur Redcloud is a Native American actor. He is well-known for playing the character Hikuc in the 2015 movie The Revenant.
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Arthur Redcloud's Early Life
Arthur Redcloud is from the Navajo people. He grew up in Window Rock, Arizona, which is on the Navajo reservation. He went to Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas. Later, he made his home in Colleyville, Texas. Redcloud became a Christian in the early 2000s. While working as a security guard, he started going to Gateway Church services in 2004.
Arthur Redcloud's Acting Journey
The Revenant was Arthur Redcloud's first big movie role. Before this, he took acting classes. He also acted for a few years in low budget films.
Getting the Role in The Revenant
To audition for The Revenant, Redcloud drove 635 miles. He traveled from Dallas, Texas to Santa Fe, New Mexico in one night. He was trying out for the part of Hikuc. Hikuc is a Pawnee man who helps Hugh Glass (played by Leonardo DiCaprio). After another audition in Canada, he got the part.
Filming The Revenant Experience
Redcloud shared that filming was very tough. Actors often rehearsed for 12 to 14 hours. This was done in freezing cold weather near Calgary, Alberta, and later in Argentina. He called the movie a "spiritual awakening" for him. It brought him closer to his co-star DiCaprio and the rest of the cast. It also made him appreciate how much harder life was for people in the past.
Redcloud felt the film honored his ancestors. He said, "I think we're forgetting about how hard it was for not just their ancestors, but people like your own lineage of your family." He also gave credit to the director, Alejandro G. Innaritu. He said the director helped show Native and First Nations people in a true way. The director was open to learning about their cultures from the actors.
For his role, Redcloud learned about the Pawnee language. He also researched the time period of his character. The healing prayers he speaks in the movie are Navajo blessings. These were passed down to him from his medicine man grandfather. His grandfather's knowledge also helped him create a scene. In this scene, his character builds a quick shelter in the wild.
Working with Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio mentioned that Redcloud helped him. Redcloud's ancestors ate raw bison meat. This gave DiCaprio the strength to eat raw bison liver in the film.
Other Acting Roles
In 2022, Redcloud played a Mabo warrior. This was in the HBO series Our Flag Means Death (Season 1, Episode 2).
Images for kids
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Redcloud with Larry Poole, Jodi Cilley and others at the San Diego Film Awards in 2017.
