Speaker Michael Greyeyes
Michael Greyeyes is a multi-hyphenate talent - actor, director, choreographer, and scholar - whose diverse career from stage to screen spans over 25 years. He will soon begin production on the Universal/Blumhouse adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel Firestarter. Greyeyes will step into the role of “Rainbird,” which was played by Oscar winner George C. Scott in the 1984 movie. Most recently, Greyeyes starred in the thriller Wild Indian, the feature debut by writer/director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr, which premiered in competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. The film follows two Anishinaabe men who are inextricably bound together after covering up the savage murder of a schoolmate. He received rave reviews from critics for his gripping portrayal of “Makwa/Michael.”
This Spring, Greyeyes will star opposite Ed Helms in the new Peacock comedy “Rutherford Falls.” Co-created executive produced by Helms, Mike Schur (“The Good Place”) and Sierra Teller Ornelas, the series is set in a small town in upstate New York and the Native American reservation it borders.
In the past two years, Greyeyes has made impactful and resonating appearances in a handful of critically acclaimed projects including recurring roles on HBO’s anthology crime drama “True Detective,” opposite Mahershala Ali and Stephen Dorff, and the HBO limited series, “I Know This Much Is True,” opposite Mark Ruffalo. He also starred in the independent horror film, Blood Quantum, written and directed by Mi’gmaq filmmaker Jeff Barnaby, which featured an Indigenous cast. The film premiered at the Toronto Film Festival. The groundbreaking film blends horror with sociopolitical subtext, imagining a world in which those with indigenous blood are immune to a vicious zombie apocalypse. The film received ten Canadian Screen Award nomination, including an Actor in a Leading Role nomination for Greyeyes.
His other film credits include the Disney+ live-action film, Togo, about two of the key figures in the 1925 Nome Serum Run, and Woman Walks Ahead, where he starred alongside Jessica Chastain and Sam Rockwell, in A24 and DirecTV’s western drama. In the film he portrayed Chief Sitting Bull, which follows widowed artist Catherine Weldon (Chastain) who travelled to North Dakota in the 1880’s to paint the infamous Lakota Sioux Indian leader. Inspired by true events and directed by Susanna White, the film premiered in competition at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 and had a Special Gala Screening at the Tribeca Film Festival. He has appeared in numerous feature films, including The New World, directed by Terence Malick, Skipped Parts, Passchendaele and Dance Me Outside, a cult-classic directed by Bruce McDonald.
On the small screen, Greyeyes will soon return for the second season of Apple Original mystery drama series “Home Before Dark.” He recently starred alongside Ian Somerhalder in the Netflix Original Series “V-Wars,” based on Jonathan Maberry’s bestselling book. In its third season, Greyeyes joined the cast of “Fear the Walking Dead,” AMC’s hit companion series to “The Walking Dead.” His other television credits include: Law and Order: Criminal
Intent, Crazy Horse (TNT), and Tecumseh in Tecumseh's Vision; (PBS) to mini-series such as Klondike (Discovery), Saints and Strangers (National Geographic), and Dreamkeeper (ABC).
Intent, Crazy Horse (TNT), and Tecumseh in Tecumseh's Vision; (PBS) to mini-series such as Klondike (Discovery), Saints and Strangers (National Geographic), and Dreamkeeper (ABC).
Born and raised in Canada, Greyeyes is Nêhiyaw (Plains Cree) from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation. He graduated from Kent State University with a master’s degree in the Fine Arts at the School of Theatre and Dance and is also a graduate of The National Ballet School where he went on to join The National Ballet of Canada company. In 2010, Greyeyes founded a
Canadian non-profit theatre organization, Signal Theatre, a company that explores intercultural and transdisciplinary live performance. He serves as the Artistic Director for the theatre. Greyeyes selected directing credits include: A Soldier’s Tale, from thine eyes (Signal Theatre), Pimooteewin (Soundstreams), Almighty Voice and his Wife (Native Earth Performing Arts), Seven Seconds (2010 imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival). Most recently he directed Yvette Nolan's adaptation of Aristophanes The Birds at York University, where he is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theatre in the School of Arts, Performance, Media and Design.
Greyeyes currently resides with his family in Toronto.
Speaking on: Master Class: Rutherford Falls
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