Michael Greyeyes

Michael Greyeyes, born June 4, 1967, is a celebrated First Nations actor, dancer, choreographer, director, and educator hailing from the Plains Cree tribe of the Muskeg Lake First Nation. From the beginning of his career, Greyeyes wore many hats demonstrating his versatility in various art forms. He is an alumnus of The National Ballet School and had a noteworthy stint with The National Ballet of Canada. Towards the end of the 1990s, he shifted his base to New York City to join modern dance choreographer Eliot Feld and performed in several notable works. In addition, acting came naturally to him. His milestone acting credits from the 1990s and 2000s include appearances on TV shows like Law & Order, Walker, Texas Ranger, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, and films like Dance Me Outside and Sunshine State. His portrayal of Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull earned him critical acclaim.

His artistic journey didn't stop there, Greyeyes continued to research Powwow, a modern form of traditional dance. To add another feather to his cap, he has also lent his voice to video games, with Tommy Tawodi from the action game Prey being one of them. In 2010, he pushed his boundaries even further by founding Signal Theatre, a company that crafts intercultural and transdisciplinary live performances. Greyeyes has won several awards, most notably the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actor at the 9th Canadian Screen Awards in 2021 for his performance in the zombie film Blood Quantum. He continues to be actively involved as an Artistic Director and choreographer and shares his extensive knowledge of performance arts as an associate professor of theatre at York University.