Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Meet Disney's Seventh Princess Pocahontas

Meet Disney's Seventh Princess Pocahontas

Irene Bedard (July 22nd, 1967)

 
       Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress best known for her portrayal of Native American characters in a variety of films. Bedard was born in Anchorage, Alaska. Her heritage is Inupiat Inuit and Metis.

          She is the daughter of an Inupiat Eskimo and a French Canadian/Cree. Her Eskimo name is Goodiarook, which means "someone who dropped." Her nickname is Peanut and she is 5' 1/2" tall

Career


          Irene Bedard's first role was as Mary Crow Dog in the television production Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, which depicted the 1970s standoff between police and Native Americans at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. She is probably best known as the voice of the main character in the Disney animated film Pocahontas and its direct-to-video sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World. Bedard was also the physical model for the character. She appeared in a different take of the story in the 2005 film The New World, as Pocahontas' mother whose name was Nonoma Winanuske Matatiske. Bedard attended the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, PA where she studied Musical Theatre.

          In 2005, she was cast in the television mini-series Into the West, portraying the half-Lakota, half-white adult Margaret "Light Shines" Wheeler.

          Irene Bedard is known for bringing a powerful emotional presence to her characters. She was chosen as one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People for 1995.

Personal life


          She married singer Denny Wilson in 1993. Their son, Quinn Wilson, was born in 2003. In 2010, Bedard left Wilson, alleging physical, sexual, and mental abuse, and fled to Alaska. A letter written by Bedard's niece, Alia Davis, alleged that during their marriage, Wilson maintained control over Bedard's career, and that his abuse had cost her multiple jobs, as she could not work with visible bruises. Wilson responded by filing 49 motions in Greene County, Ohio, forcing Bedard to return to the state and relinquish her son to Wilson's custody. An article on the Native Spirit PR & Entertainment website requests that fans of Bedard and those concerned for her welfare assist her by writing letters to Ohio and Alaska representatives, requesting that her son be returned to her custody, and that the court venue be transferred to Alaska. Bedard is also requesting financial assistance to assist with legal costs, alleging that Wilson still maintains control of her finances and image.

Awards and nominations


Year
Award
Category
Film
Result
1995
Golden Globe
Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV
Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee
Nominated
Western Heritage Awards
Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film
Won
1999
Two for Texas
Won
2004
American Indian LA Film and TV Awards
Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film
Greasewood Flat
Won
2006
NAMIC Vision Awards
Best Dramatic Performance
Into the West
Won
Western Heritage Awards
Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film
Won

Filmography


Year
Title
Role
Notes
1994
Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee
Mary Crow Dog
TV movie
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale
Nakooma
1995
The Marshal
Melissa Carey
1 episode: "Twoslip"
Pocahontas
Pocahontas
(voice)
1996
Grand Avenue
Reyna
TV movies
Crazy Horse
Black Buffalo Woman
Adventures from the Book of Virtues
Morning Light
(voice); 1 episode: "Honesty"
The Real Adventures of Johnny Quest
Alice Starseer
2 episodes: "Return of the Anasazi"; "Trouble on the Colorado"
Navajo Blues
Audrey Wyako
1997
Song of Hiawatha
Minnehaha
Profiler
Maddy Duvall
1 episode: "The Sorceror's Apprentice"
Det store flip
Oglala
AKA, Wild Flowers
True Women
Tobe
TV movie
1998
6/29
Laura Cooper
Naturally Native
Tanya Lewis
Smoke Signals
Suzy Song
Two for Texas
Sana
TV movie
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World
Pocahontas
Direct-to-video; (voice)
12 Bucks
Babe
1999
Blood Money
Naomi Lister
TV movie
Wildflowers
Ruby
Roughnecks: The Starship Troopers Chronicles
General Miriam Redwing
(voice); 4 episodes (1999–2001)
2000
Pussykat
The Lost Child
Grace
TV movie
2001
Your Guardian
Katherine 'Kat' Damon
The Outer Limits
Callie Whitehorse Landau
1 episode: "In the Blood"
The Agency
Diah Siagian
1 episode: "The Year of Living Dangerously"
2003
Paris
Sandy
Greasewood Flat
Abbey
Edge of America
Annie Shorty
TV movie
2004
What's New, Scooby-Doo
Cody Long
(voice); 1 episode: "New Mexico, Old Monster"
2005
Planting Melvin
Billie Lawrence
Higglytown Heroes
Forest Ranger Hero
(voice); 1 episode: "Fran Takes a Hike/Mystery at Kip's House"
Into the West
Margaret Light Shines
3 episodes: "Hell on Wheels"; "Casualties of War"; "Ghost Dance"
Miracle at Sage Creek
Sunny
Love's Long Journey
Miriam Red Hawk McClain
TV movie
The New World
Pocahontas' Mother (Nonoma)
2007
Cosmic Radio
K.C.
Tortilla Haven
Liberata
The Red Chalk
Eve
2008
Turok: Son of Stone
Catori
(voice); Direct-to-video
The Spectacular Spider-Man
Jean DeWolff
(voice); 4 episodes (2008–2009)
2011
Timberwolf
Eleni
Pre-Production



http://www.imdb.com

http://en.wikipedia.org






My Christmas book, An Angel Remembers 25 Voices of Christmas is out!!
You can find for all formats at
For the Nook at
http://www.barnesandnoble.com
For IPad, IPhone
in the ITunes store
It soon will be up at other sites such as Amazon

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