Gil Birmingham

Last updated

Gil Birmingham
Born (1953-07-13) July 13, 1953 (age 70)
San Antonio, Texas, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1986–present
Website gilbirmingham.com

Gil Birmingham (born July 13, 1953)[ citation needed ] is an American actor known for his role as Tribal Chairman Thomas Rainwater in the Paramount Network's television series Yellowstone . He is also known for his portrayal of Billy Black in The Twilight Saga film series and recurring television roles as George Hunter in Banshee and Virgil White in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt .

Contents

Early life

Gilbert Birmingham was born in San Antonio, Texas. He identifies his father as being of Comanche descent. [1] His family moved frequently during his childhood due to his father's career in the military. Birmingham learned to play the guitar at an early age and considers music to be his "first love." [2] After obtaining a Bachelor of Science from the USC Price School of Public Policy, [3] he worked as a petrochemical engineer, but later decided to become an actor. [4] [5]

Career

Music videos

In the early 1980s, a talent scout spotted Birmingham at a local gym, where he had been bodybuilding and entering bodybuilding contests, and recruited him for his first acting experience, a music video for Diana Ross’s 1982 hit song "Muscles". [6]

Theme parks

After that music video, Birmingham began to pursue acting as his primary career, studying with Larry Moss and Charles Conrad. He portrayed the character of Conan the Barbarian in Universal Studios Hollywood's theme park attraction The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular . [4]

Television

Birmingham made his television debut on an episode of the series Riptide . By 2002, he had a recurring role as the character Oz in the medical drama Body & Soul, starring Peter Strauss. In 2005, he was cast as the older Dogstar in the Steven Spielberg six-part miniseries Into the West. In 2018, he began portraying Chief Thomas Rainwater of the fictional Broken Rock Indian Reservation in Paramount Network's Yellowstone , now in its fifth season.

He has appeared in a number of other television series, including "Animal Kingdom", Buffy the Vampire Slayer , Veronica Mars , 10 Items or Less , Nip/Tuck , Castle , The Mentalist , House of Cards , Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and Siren . He has also had roles in several television films, such as Gentle Ben (with Dean Cain) and Gentle Ben 2, [7] Dreamkeeper , The Lone Ranger , and Love's Long Journey (with Erin Cottrell and Irene Bedard).

In 2022, Gil Birmingham was cast as Detective Bill Taba, a Paiute man and non-Latter-day Saint, in the mini-series Under the Banner of Heaven .

Films

In 2001, Birmingham appeared in his first feature film, The Doe Boy , in which he portrayed Manny Deadmarsh.

In 2008, Birmingham was cast as the character Billy Black in The Twilight Saga film series. He performed in all five of the films. [8] [9]

The Twilight series has led to roles in other major film roles, including that of Sheriff Johnny Cortez in Love Ranch (with Joe Pesci and Helen Mirren), and Cal Bishnik in Shouting Secrets (with The Twilight Saga: New Moon castmate Chaske Spencer). In September 2011, Birmingham appeared in the film Crooked Arrows, cast in the role of Ben Logan. [10]

Birmingham voiced Wounded Bird in the animated film Rango and has provided voice work for the television series The Wild Thornberrys (in which he voiced an Inuit elder) and the film Night at the Museum .[ citation needed ]

He played the partnering Texas Ranger to Jeff Bridges' character in the 2016 bank robbery film Hell or High Water .

In the Chickasaw Nation production of Te Ata , Birmingham plays Thomas Benjamin 'T.B.' Thompson, Mary Frances 'Te Ata' (Thompson) Fisher's father. [11] [12] Birmingham attended the film's premiere in Moore, Oklahoma, on September 13, 2016. [13]

He was featured in The Space Between Us as Shaman Neka, which was released on February 3, 2017. He was featured as the father of a girl who dies on an Arapaho reservation in the 2017 film Wind River .

In February 2021, Birmingham was cast as Charlie Bass in the Netflix thriller series Pieces of Her , adapted from the Karin Slaughter novel of the same name. [14]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1987 House II: The Second Story Featured Warrior
1996 Le Jaguar Bodyguard of Kumare
2001 The Doe Boy Manny Deadmarsh
2002 Skins Sonny Yellow Lodge
2005 End of the Spear MoipaUncredited
2007Cosmic RadioTribal Council Leader
2008 Turok: Son of Stone Nashoba (voice)
No Man's Land: The Rise of Reeker Eaglesmith
Twilight Billy Black
2009 The Twilight Saga: New Moon
2010 The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Love Ranch Sheriff Johnny Cortez
2011 Rango Wounded Bird (voice)
Shouting Secrets Cal Bishnik
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 Billy Black
California IndianCharles "Chi" Thomas
2012 Crooked Arrows Ben Logan
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 Billy BlackCredited only
2013 The Lone Ranger Red Knee
2014 The Boxcar Children Lonan BrowningVoice role
2016 Hell or High Water Alberto Parker
2017 Wind River Martin Hanson
The Space Between Us Shaman Neka
Transformers: The Last Knight Chief Sherman
2018 The Boxcar Children: Surprise Island Lonan BrowningVoice role
Saint Judy Michael Bowman
2023 The Marsh King's Daughter Clark
TBA Wind River: The Next Chapter Martin HansonPost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986 Riptide CopEpisode: "Chapel of Glass"
1987 Falcon Crest DeputyEpisode: "Desperation"
1997 The Legend of Calamity Jane Additional voices13 episodes
Buffy the Vampire Slayer Peru ManEpisode: "Inca Mummy Girl"
Night Man VargasEpisode: "I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Brave #1Episode: "Safe Passage"
1999 The Wild Thornberrys Jim's Dad (voice)Episode: "Tamper Proof Seal"
2001 Family Law BernardEpisode: "Americans"
V.I.P. RolandEpisode: "Uncle from V.A.L."
2002 Gentle Ben PeteTelevision film
Body & SoulOzRecurring role, 8 episodes
2003Gentle Ben 2PeteTelevision film
The Lone Ranger One HornUnsold television film
Dreamkeeper SamTelevision film
2005 Medical Investigation Walter ShephardEpisode: "Tribe"
Into the West Older DogstarTelevision miniseries, 4 episodes
Love's Long Journey Sharp ClawTelevision film
2006 Charmed Indian ChiefEpisode: "Payback's a Witch"
Veronica Mars Leonard Lobo2 episodes
2009 Nip/Tuck ShamanEpisode: "Budi Sabri"
10 Items or Less John GreeneEpisode: "Dances with Groceries"
2010 Castle Cacaw TeEpisode: "Wrapped Up in Death"
The Mentalist Markham WillisEpisode: "Aingavite Baa"
2012 The Lying Game Ben Whitehorse3 episodes
Wilfred Red WolfEpisode: "Questions"
Vegas Don Simmons2 episodes
2014 Banshee George Hunter5 episodes
House of Cards Daniel Lanagin4 episodes
2015–17 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Virgil7 episodes
2016Dr. DelCrowTelevision film
2017 Animal Kingdom PearceEpisode: "Betrayal"
2018–20 Siren Sheriff Dale Bishop14 episodes
2018–present Yellowstone Thomas RainwaterSeries regular
2019 NCIS: Los Angeles Navy Captain Steven DouglasSeason Finale
2021 Pieces of Her Charlie BassRecurring role
2022 Under the Banner of Heaven Bill TabaMain Role
2024 X-Men '97 Forge / Daniel Lone Eagle [15] Voice Role

Video games

YearTitleRole
1999 Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun Ghostalker (voice)

Awards

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References

  1. ↑ Leydon, Joe (August 14, 2018). "Gil Birmingham". Cowboys & Indians. Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Billy Black actor talks of role on eve of visiting LaPush". Peninsuladailynews.com. July 16, 2010. Archived from the original on April 6, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Gil Birmingham adds 'Hell or High Water' to long resume". fresnobee.
  4. 1 2 Pond, Roscoe (April 2, 2003). "Through the Kindness of Strangers; Actor Gil Birmingham Arrives". Indian Country Today. 22 (42): D1.
  5. ↑ Gire, Dann (June 24, 2010). "Daily Herald | A little bit of job advice, courtesy of two 'Twilight' stars". Prev.dailyherald.com. Archived from the original on April 7, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  6. ↑ Kimberly Sherman (June 10, 2009). "An exclusive chat with Billy Black actor Gil Birmingham - Twilight Moonlighter". Blogs.hellomagazine.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  7. ↑ "Gil Birmingham Biography". Filmreference.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  8. ↑ Ditzian, Eric (July 8, 2010). "'Breaking Dawn' Part Two Release Date Not Set For Summer 2012 - MTV Movie News". MTV. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  9. ↑ Kilpatrick, Christine (April 1, 2011). "Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart Married in Breaking Dawn". People.com. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  10. ↑ Rosenberg, Steven A. (August 11, 2011). "Local players add extra authenticity to movie about lacrosse - Boston.com". Articles.boston.com. Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved September 3, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Gil Birmingham". Te Ata. The Chickasaw Nation. October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Te Ata Full Cast & Crew". IMDb. October 9, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Te Ata". Facebook. September 13, 2016. Retrieved October 9, 2016.
  14. ↑ Petski, Denise (February 5, 2021). "'Pieces Of Her': Gil Birmingham, Terry O'Quinn & Calum Worthy Join Netflix Series As Recurring". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  15. ↑ Romano, Nick (February 15, 2024). "'X-Men '97' exclusive look reveals legacy costumes, Theo James casting". EW.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Bio".
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