Q'orianka Kilcher facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Q'orianka Kilcher
Kilcher in 2004
Born	Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher (1990-02-11) February 11, 1990 (age 35) Schweigmatt, West Germany
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2000–present
Relatives	Jewel (first cousin once removed) Yule F. Kilcher (great-grandfather) Ray Genet (grandfather)

Q'orianka Kilcher (born February 11, 1990) is an American actress. She is well-known for playing Pocahontas in the 2005 movie The New World. She also starred as [[Kaʻiulani]] in Princess Kaiulani (2009). More recently, she appeared in the TV show Yellowstone starting in 2020.

Early life and talents

Q'orianka Kilcher was born in Schweigmatt, West Germany. Her unique name, Q'orianka, means "Golden Eagle" in the Quechua language. Her father comes from the Quechua and Huachipaeri groups in Peru. Her mother, Saskia Kilcher, is an American who works for human rights. She has Swiss-German family roots.

When Q'orianka was two, she and her mother moved to Kapaʻa, Hawaii, in the United States. Her brother, Kainoa, was born there. Growing up in Hawaii, Q'orianka loved the local culture. She started learning hula dancing when she was five years old. She also learned Tahitian dance, West African dance, ballet, hip hop, and modern dance. In 1997, at age seven, she won an award for young choreographers from Ballet Hawaii.

She was chosen to compete in an international Tahitian Dance Competition in California in 1996 and 1997. She performed in over 50 professional dance shows across the island. As a member of the Waikiki Singers, she was the main soprano singer for classical music pieces. At six years old, Q'orianka was the youngest child to study classical singing at the University of Hawaii. She also studied acting. Her mother helped her perform as a singer and opening act for famous Hawaiian artists.

In 1999, her family moved to California. Q'orianka would sing and dance for tourists on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica. People would give her donations for her performances.

Acting career highlights

When she was ten, Q'orianka Kilcher got a role as Choire Who in the movie How the Grinch Stole Christmas. At 12, she received a full scholarship to a music school in Hollywood. There, she studied singing, music theory, and songwriting.

She also trained in martial arts and stunts. She has a black belt in Wushu kung fu. She is also a trained stunt performer.

At 15, Q'orianka played Pocahontas in the movie The New World (2005). This film was directed by Terrence Malick. Her acting in the movie was highly praised. She won the National Board of Review's award for best breakthrough performance in 2006. She also won an Alma Award for best Latin American actress.

In 2006, Q'orianka started filming The Power of Few. She also produced this independent film through her own company. She played the main role in the 2009 movie Princess Kaiulani. This film was about the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy. Critics praised Q'orianka's performance in the movie. Film critic Roger Ebert said she showed "great depth and sympathy" in her role.

In 2009, Kilcher performed in The People Speak. This documentary used performances of letters and speeches from ordinary people in U.S. history. It was based on a book by historian Howard Zinn.

A year later, she played Pinti in the movie Shouting Secrets. This film won an award for Best Film. Q'orianka was nominated for Best Supporting Actress. She also played Kerrianne Larkin in the TV series Sons of Anarchy.

In 2011, Q'orianka played Tiger Lily in Neverland. This was a TV miniseries based on the Peter Pan story.

In 2012, she starred in Firelight with Cuba Gooding Jr.. She played Caroline Magabo, a young woman who becomes a volunteer firefighter. In 2013, she was Rayen in Running Deer, a short film that won awards.

Kilcher played the Chickasaw Nation actress Te Ata in the 2017 movie Te Ata. In 2018, she appeared in TNT's The Alienist as Mary Palmer. She also played an Inca princess in the 2019 adventure film Dora and the Lost City of Gold.

In 2020, Q'orianka joined the cast of Yellowstone. She played Angela Blue Thunder in several seasons of the show. In 2022, she appeared in the movie Dog as Niki. Q'orianka will also produce and star in an upcoming film called Yesteryear.

Activism and advocacy

Q'orianka Kilcher is very dedicated to human rights and protecting the environment. She often speaks about environmental justice and basic human rights. She travels to speak at events for young people, colleges, and universities. She has been a main speaker for groups like Amnesty International and the United Nations. She has also spoken at discussions about the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

She uses her fame and voice to support many international and national groups. She is a youth ambassador for Amnesty International, focusing on women's rights. She also supports groups like Amazon Watch and the Community School for the Arts foundation. She works with the National Endowment For the Arts on their "The Big Read" campaign. She has also performed readings of Howard Zinn's book The People Speak.

In 2010, Q'orianka started her own organization called "On-q Initiative". This group connects young people in Hollywood with youth activists around the world. They work together to support environmental sustainability, responsible business practices, and basic human rights. Through her production company, IQ-Films, Q'orianka is making documentaries and youth programs that focus on important causes.

On June 11, 2009, she visited Lima, Peru, to support the rights of Indigenous peoples in the Amazon rainforest. In 2007, Q'orianka won the Brower Youth Award for her environmental work. She helped convince a company called Occidental Petroleum to leave the Peruvian Amazon valley. She also received the Young Hollywood Green Award.

On June 1, 2010, Q'orianka and her mother protested outside the White House in Washington, D.C. They were protesting a meeting between the U.S. President and the Peruvian President. They believed the Peruvian President was selling Amazon land to companies and stopping Indigenous protests. They were briefly arrested, but the charges were later dropped after they completed community service.

On September 4, 2015, Q'orianka was part of a group that sang "Love Song to the Earth." This song aimed to raise awareness about climate change. All the money from the song went to environmental groups. She and other singers performed the song in Washington, D.C., before Pope Francis spoke to the U.S. Congress.

Family life

Q'orianka Kilcher has two brothers, Kainoa and Xihuaru Kilcher. Both of her brothers also work as actors and stunt performers. Her first cousin once removed is the famous singer Jewel.

Her mother, Saskia Kilcher, is the daughter of Ray "Pirate" Genet. He was a Swiss mountaineer who moved to the United States. Q'orianka's great-grandfather was Yule F. Kilcher. He was a member of the Alaska Senate and helped write the Alaskan constitution.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Q'orianka Kilcher para niños