Billy Merasty facts for kids

Billy Merasty, born in 1960, is a talented actor and writer from Canada. He is a member of the Cree First Nation. He has appeared in many plays, movies, and TV shows. Billy Merasty is also known for being a role model for Indigenous people in Canada.

Early Life and Family

Billy Merasty was born in a place called Brochet, Manitoba, in Canada. He was one of fourteen children in his family. His parents were Viola and Pierre Merasty. His grandfather, Joe Highway, was a famous caribou hunter and a champion in dogsled racing. Billy Merasty is also related to the well-known playwright Tomson Highway and the talented dancer and director René Highway.

Acting and Writing Career

When Billy Merasty was 18, he moved to Toronto. He was looking for his cousin, René Highway, who was working with a dance group there. Billy Merasty started his acting journey at age 23. He had just finished his studies at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, a special school for young First Nations artists. After that, he worked for a long time with a group called Native Earth Performing Arts.

Billy Merasty has acted a lot on stage and in movies. He has also written plays. His first play, Fireweed, was performed in 1992. He is currently working on another play called Godly's Divinia. In 2010, Billy Merasty received a special award called the Order of Manitoba. This award recognized his many years of being a great role model for Indigenous people from Manitoba.

Stage Performances

Billy Merasty has performed in many important plays. Some of these include The Sage, The Dancer and the Fool, Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, and The Rez Sisters, all written by his cousin Tomson Highway. He also acted in The Indian Medicine Show by Daniel David Moses and Rain Dance by Lanford Wilson. Other plays he appeared in are Copper Thunderbird, Where the Blood Mixes, Ghost Dance, and The Neverending Story.

In 2012, Billy Merasty played the character of Gloucester in a special play. It was an all-Indigenous production of William Shakespeare's famous play King Lear. This play was performed at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. He acted alongside other well-known Indigenous actors like August Schellenberg and Tantoo Cardinal.

Movies and TV Shows

Billy Merasty has been in many movies and television shows. He has played a variety of characters throughout his career.

Movies

Television Shows