Gil Birmingham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gil Birmingham
|
|
|---|---|
Birmingham in 2017
|
|
| Born |
Gilbert Birmingham
July 13, 1953 San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
|
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
Gilbert Birmingham (born July 13, 1953) is an American actor. He is famous for playing Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater in the TV show Yellowstone. He also played Billy Black in The Twilight Saga movies. Other well-known roles include George Hunter in Banshee and Virgil White in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gil Birmingham was born in San Antonio, Texas. His father was Comanche, and his mother had Spanish roots. Because his father was in the military, Gil's family moved often when he was a child. He learned to play the guitar when he was young. He often says that music was his "first love."
After college, Gil earned a degree from the USC Price School of Public Policy. He first worked as an engineer. Later, he decided to become a bodybuilder and then an actor.
Acting Career Beginnings
First Steps in Entertainment
In the early 1980s, a talent scout noticed Gil Birmingham. He was bodybuilding at a local gym. This led to his first acting job. He appeared in a music video for Diana Ross's song "Muscles" in 1982.
Theme Park Performer
After the music video, Gil decided to focus on acting. He took acting classes to improve his skills. He even played the character of Conan the Barbarian at Universal Studios Hollywood. This was for their show called The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular.
Television Roles
Early TV Appearances
Gil Birmingham first appeared on TV in an episode of Riptide. By 2002, he had a regular role as Oz in the medical show Body & Soul. In 2005, he played Older Dogstar in the miniseries Into the West.
Major TV Series
From 2018 to 2024, Gil played Chief Thomas Rainwater. This character leads the fictional Broken Rock Indian Reservation in the show Yellowstone. He has also appeared in many other TV shows. These include Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Veronica Mars, Nip/Tuck, Castle, and House of Cards.
In 2021, Gil was cast as Charlie Bass. This role was for the Netflix thriller series Pieces of Her. In 2022, he played Detective Bill Taba in the miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven.
Film Roles
First Films and Voice Work
In 2001, Gil Birmingham was in his first feature film, The Doe Boy. He played the character Manny Deadmarsh. He also did voice work for animated projects. He voiced Wounded Bird in the movie Rango. He also voiced an Inuk elder in The Wild Thornberrys TV series.
The Twilight Saga
In 2008, Gil got a big role as Billy Black. This was for The Twilight Saga film series. He appeared in all five movies in the series. This role helped him get other important film parts.
Other Notable Movies
After Twilight, Gil played Sheriff Johnny Cortez in Love Ranch. He also played Cal Bishnik in Shouting Secrets. In 2011, he appeared in Crooked Arrows as Ben Logan. In 2016, he played Texas Ranger Alberto Parker in the movie Hell or High Water.
In 2017, he was in The Space Between Us as Shaman Neka. He also played Martin Hanson in the film Wind River. This movie was about a girl who dies on an Arapaho reservation.
Awards and Recognition
- 2001: The Doe Boy, a film starring Gil, won the Sundance International Filmmaker's Award.
- 2002: He received a First Americans in the Arts (FAITA) award. This was for his role as Oz in Body & Soul.
- 2005: He won an American Indian LA Film and Television Award. This was for his supporting role as Sam in Dreamkeeper.
See also
In Spanish: Gil Birmingham para niños
