Rudy Youngblood facts for kids

Rudy Youngblood (born September 21, 1982) is an American actor, musician, and artist. He is best known for his main role as Jaguar Paw in the 2006 movie Apocalypto.

Early Life and Background

Rudy Youngblood was born in Belton, Texas. He grew up with two younger sisters. His mother supported them. Rudy says his mother is of Comanche descent. He has also stated that his biological father was of Yaqui background. His adoptive father was of Cree descent. When he was growing up, Rudy used his stepfather's last name, Gonzales.

Education and Early Career

Rudy started working in construction when he was only ten years old. He learned many skills from the men he worked with, like carpentry and bricklaying. He went to local schools and was very good at boxing and track events at Belton High School.

He loved going to movies and became a big fan of films. After high school, he was offered scholarships for both art and track and field. But he chose to focus on Native dance instead. He has performed with the American Indian Dance Theatre.

Acting Career Highlights

Rudy Youngblood was chosen by director Mel Gibson for a big role. He got the main part of Jaguar Paw in the movie Apocalypto (2006). This was an epic film where he also did his own stunts.

To act in the movie, he learned the Yucatec Maya language. All the talking in the film was in Maya. For his acting, he won the Best Actor award at the 15th annual First Americans in the Arts awards.

Personal Life and Activism

Rudy Youngblood cares a lot about helping others. He has worked to raise awareness about HIV. He has taken part in AIDS walks and visited children with HIV in hospitals. He wants to bring attention to how HIV affects Native communities.

He saw a family member pass away from AIDS-related problems. This made him feel it was important to "give back and make a difference." He often talks about how important education is to fight misunderstanding about HIV/AIDS.

Rudy grew up looking after his two younger sisters. Today, he and his mother have a very close relationship.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Rudy Youngblood para niños