D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
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|---|---|
| ᐊᓂᐦᔑᓂᓐ ᒪᐦᑳᔾ | |
| Born |
D'Pharaoh Miskwaatez Loescher McKay Woon-A-Tai
September 19, 2001 Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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| Other names | D'Pharaoh McKay |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Relatives | Frank Woon-A-Tai (maternal grandfather) |
D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai is a Canadian actor born on September 19, 2001. He is from the Oji-Cree Indigenous group. He is famous for playing Bear Smallhill in the TV show Reservation Dogs. This role earned him many awards, including a nomination for a big Emmy Award.
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About D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai
His Early Life and Family
D'Pharaoh and his twin brother, Mi'De Xxavier, were born in Toronto, Canada. His full name, D'Pharaoh Miskwaatez Loescher McKay Woon-A-Tai, shows his mixed background. He has Oji-Cree, Chinese-Guyanese, and German family roots.
He is very good at Shotokan karate and has a black belt. His grandfather, Frank Woon-A-Tai, is a well-known Shotokan karate teacher. D'Pharaoh's other grandfather, Dr. Alex McKay, taught the Anishinaabemowin language at the University of Toronto.
D'Pharaoh grew up in Toronto with his five siblings. They often visited their family in the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. He went to Nelson Mandela Park Public School.
Starting His Acting Career
D'Pharaoh began acting in 2018. He had a repeating role as Chase Whaley in the TV show Holly Hobbie. In 2019, he played Tom Longboat in two episodes of Murdoch Mysteries. He also appeared in shows like Creeped Out and Tribal.
His first movie role was as Hank in the film Beans. This movie was shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2020. It also won the award for Best Motion Picture at the Canadian Screen Awards.
Starring in Reservation Dogs
In 2020, D'Pharaoh was chosen to play Bear Smallhill in the TV show Reservation Dogs. This comedy-drama started in 2021 on FX on Hulu. The show is about teenagers living on tribal land in Oklahoma. It is special because the whole creative team, main actors, and crew are Indigenous people.
Critics praised D'Pharaoh's acting in the show. The Denver Gazette called him the "breakout star." The show's second season came out in 2022, and the third and final season in 2023. For his role in the final season, D'Pharaoh made history. He became the first Indigenous actor to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. At the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, he wore a red handprint. This was a symbol of support for Indigenous communities.
Other Film Projects
In 2022, D'Pharaoh joined the cast of Hell of a Summer. This movie was directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk. It was released in 2023. He also played Adam in the 2023 film Fitting In. Another movie he starred in that year was the thriller Only the Good Survive.
In 2024, it was announced that D'Pharaoh would be in the movie Warfare. He will play Ray Mendoza alongside other actors like Noah Centineo and Will Poulter. The film is directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland. The cast started military-style training to get ready for filming in London. Later in 2024, it was shared that D'Pharaoh would join Caught Stealing. This film is directed by Darren Aronofsky.
His Personal Life
Since 2021, D'Pharaoh has been dating American model and activist Quannah Chasinghorse. They live together in Los Angeles. Both D'Pharaoh and Quannah are signed with IMG for modeling and talent work. They appeared together in a music video for Rob & Jack Lahana's song "Haute saison." In 2024, they were both featured on Vogue Digital for Ralph Lauren.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Beans | Hank | Tracey Deer | |
| 2023 | Fitting In | Adam | Molly McGlynn | |
| Only the Good Survive | Ry Coolidge | Dutch Southern | ||
| Hell of a Summer | Mike | Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk | ||
| 2025 | Warfare | Ray Mendoza | Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland | Post-production |
| TBA | Caught Stealing | Dale | Darren Aronofsky | In production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Holly Hobbie | Chase Whaley | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | Murdoch Mysteries | Tom Longboat | 2 episodes |
| Creeped Out | Lucky | Episode: "The Takedown" | |
| 2020 | Tribal | Mikey | Episode: "Runs with a Gun" |
| 2021–2023 | Reservation Dogs | Bear Smallhill | Main role |
| 2022 | TallBoyz | Himself | Episode: "Papa You Are My Dad" |
Web series
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Normal Ain't Normal | Wes | BuzzFeed web series Episode: "Unlord the Land" |
Videography
Music videos
| Year | Artist | Song | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Rob, Jack Lahana | Haute saison (feat. Gordon Tracks & Giogio Poi) | Haute saison (Single) |
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Independent Spirit Awards | Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series (Shared with the cast) | Reservation Dogs | Won |
| Pena de Prata | Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series (Shared with the cast) | Won | ||
| 2023 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Best Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Critics' Choice Television Awards | Nominated | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated |
