Raoul Trujillo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raoul Trujillo
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Trujillo in Los Angeles California on July 3, 2019
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Raoul Max Trujillo
May 8, 1955 |
| Occupation | Actor, dancer, choreographer, theatre director |
| Years active | 1977–present |
Raoul Max Trujillo (born May 8, 1955) is an American actor, dancer, and choreographer. He has also directed plays. He was a main dancer with the Nikolais Dance Theatre. He also helped create the American Indian Dance Theatre.
Raoul has worked in movies, TV, and theater for over 45 years. He has hosted dance shows too. He was even nominated for a Critics' Choice Award for his acting!
He is famous for playing Zero Wolf in the movie Apocalypto (2006). Zero Wolf was a tough Mayan slave catcher. He also played the Iroquois chief Kiotsaeton in Black Robe. You might have seen him in other big movies like The New World, Cowboys and Aliens, and Sicario. On TV, he has been in shows like True Blood, Lost Girl, and Mayans M.C. where he played Che "Taza" Romero.
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About Raoul Trujillo
Raoul Max Trujillo was born on May 8, 1955, in New Mexico. He has Mexican, Hispanic, and Native American heritage.
Raoul's Journey in Dance and Acting
Raoul started his career in theater in 1977. His first job was as an actor and dancer in a play called Equus. In 1978, he began dancing in Los Angeles. He saw amazing modern dance and ballet shows there.
For the next two years, he trained hard in dance. He earned scholarships to study with the Toronto Dance Theatre and Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab in New York City. He was then asked to join the Nikolais Dance Theatre. The leader, Alwin Nikolais, became his teacher and guide. Raoul toured the world with the company from 1980 to 1987. During this time, he also learned about designing sets, costumes, and lights for shows.
After leaving the company, Raoul started his own dance and choreography work. He began to include native myths and legends in his performances.
Creating the American Indian Dance Theatre
After dancing for ten years, Raoul became a choreographer and co-director for the American Indian Dance Theatre. This was the first professional Native dance company. It mixed traditional dances with new ways of telling old stories.
He created a dance piece called "The Shaman's Journey." It was first shown in New York and later made into a short film for PBS. Raoul also worked with other artists in Toronto. They created successful theater shows for Native Earth Performing Arts. He helped start the Aboriginal Dance Project at the Banff Centre. This project trains Indigenous dancers from all over the world.
Moving to the Screen
Raoul started acting in movies and TV shows in Canada in 1988. He has been in over 100 films and TV shows! He also helped create the dances and ceremonies for the movie The New World (2005). He even acted in the movie as the character Tomocomo.
Movies and TV Shows
Raoul Trujillo has had many roles in both movies and television. Here are some of his notable works:
Movies
- 1991: Black Robe as Kiotsaeton
- 1994: Highlander: The Final Dimension as Senghi Kul Khan
- 2005: The New World as Tomocomo
- 2006: Apocalypto as Zero Wolf
- 2011: Cowboys & Aliens as Black Knife
- 2013: Riddick as Lockspur
- 2015: Sicario as Rafael
- 2016: Blood Father as The Cleaner
- 2018: Sicario: Day of the Soldado as Rafael
- 2019: Cold Pursuit as Thorpe
- 2023: Blue Beetle as Ignacio Carapax / OMAC
Television Shows
- 1993–1995: Destiny Ridge as Sam Whitehorse (Main role)
- 1996: JAG as Arturo
- 2008: True Blood as Longshadow (Recurring role)
- 2011–2012: Lost Girl as The Garuda (Guest role)
- 2014: Da Vinci's Demons as Topa Inca Yupanqui (Supporting role)
- 2015: Saints & Strangers as Massasoit (Miniseries)
- 2015: Salem as The Shaman (Recurring role)
- 2016: The Blacklist as Mato (Recurring role)
- 2017–2019: Jamestown as Opchanacanough (Main role)
- 2018–2022: Mayans M.C. as Che "Taza" Romero (Main role)
As Himself
Raoul Trujillo has also appeared in documentaries about his work and the movies he's been in:
- Making 'The New World' (2006)
- Becoming Mayan: Creating Apocalypto (2006)
- Beyond the Yellow Brick Road: The Making of Tin Man (2007)
See also
In Spanish: Raoul Trujillo para niños
