Elaine Miles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Elaine Miles
|
|
|---|---|
Miles in 2001
|
|
| Born |
Oregon, U.S.
|
| Nationality | Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, American |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1990–present |
Elaine Miles is a talented Native American actress. She is most famous for playing Marilyn Whirlwind in the TV show Northern Exposure. Elaine is also a member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation.
Contents
About Elaine Miles
Growing Up
Elaine Miles was born in Pendleton, Oregon, on April 7, 1960. Her family has Cayuse and Nez Perce roots. She lived on the Umatilla Indian Reservation in eastern Oregon until she was three. Later, her family moved to Renton, Washington. Her father worked there as a machinist for Boeing.
When she was young, Elaine learned many traditional skills. These included storytelling, beading, pottery, and weaving. She is also a prize-winning traditional dancer.
Her Acting Career
Elaine Miles got her role as Marilyn Whirlwind by surprise. She was just waiting for her mother at an audition. She had no plans to try out herself. Before this, she had never acted before.
Elaine earned a lot of respect in the American Indian community. She played a Tlingit woman on TV. She also worked hard to make sure her character was shown correctly. This meant making sure the character truly represented her culture.
Awards and Recognition
Because of her work, Elaine Miles received special honors. She was named Native American Woman of the Year in 1993. In 1995, she was called America's Celebrity Indian of the Year. Also in 1995, she was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. This was for her great performance with the other actors in Northern Exposure.
After Northern Exposure
After Northern Exposure, Elaine Miles continued to be busy. She toured with her dancing and did stand-up comedy shows. She also hosted many powwows.
She has acted in independent films like Smoke Signals, Skins, and The Business of Fancydancing.
RezRobics Video
Elaine also created an exercise video called "RezRobics." She made it with fellow comedian Drew LaCapa (Apache). This video helps address diabetes rates among Native Americans. It mixes powwow dancing, martial arts, and aerobics. The video also gives helpful advice about healthy eating. Unlike most videos, they encourage people to copy and share "RezRobics" freely. They want it to reach friends and family in Indian Country.
Film and TV Roles
Elaine Miles has appeared in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of her selected roles:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–1995 | Northern Exposure | Marilyn Whirlwind | TV series, 110 episodes |
| 1994 | Bill Nye, the Science Guy | self | documentary, TV series, 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Mad Love | Housekeeper | feature film |
| 1996 | The Rez | Mad Etta | TV series, 18 episodes |
| 1996 | Pandora's Clock | Housekeeper | TV mini-series, 2 of 2 episodes |
| 1998 | Scattering Dad | TV movie | |
| 1998 | Smoke Signals | Lucy | feature film |
| 2002 | The Business of Fancydancing | Kim | feature film |
| 2002 | Skins | Rondella Roubaix | feature film |
| 2003 | Images of Indians: How Hollywood Stereotyped the Native American | self, archive footage | documentary, TV movie |
| 2007 | Tortilla Heaven | Caridad | feature film |
| 2008 | Fry Bread Babes | self | documentary, short film |
| 2009 | Wyvern | Deputy Barnes | TV movie |
| 2012 | Universal VIP | N'ah | short film |
| 2012 | By the Salish Sea | Salish Woman | voice, short film |
| 2014 | Four Quarters | Mrs. Burke | feature film |
| 2019 | Juanita | Mountain | feature film |
| 2023 | The Last of Us | Florence | Episode: "Kin" |
