Eddie Spears

Edward Spears (born November 29, 1982) is an American actor.

Early life Spears was born in Chamberlain, South Dakota, near the Lower Brulé Indian Reservation. He has five brothers and one sister; his older brother Michael is also an actor. Spears grew up on the Lower Brulé Indian Reservation until the first grade when his family moved to Pierre, South Dakota. After that, his family moved to Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he grew up and attended Aberdeen Central High School.

Career

Acting Spears began his acting career at age ten. His first role was in TNT's production of Geronimo, which was shot in Arizona.

Spears has said his most rewarding role to date was Shane Chasing Horse in the 2003 film Dreamkeeper.

When cast for the lead in the 2004 film Black Cloud (directed by Rick Schroder), he trained for three months with boxing trainer Jimmy Gambia before filming started. The film is about a Navajo boxer training for the Golden Gloves with the promise of a spot at the Olympics while struggling with the secrets of his family's past. One of the scenes was filmed in Las Vegas during the 2003 Golden Gloves National Championship.

In 2011 and 2012, Spears played Joseph Black Moon in AMC's TV series Hell On Wheels. Spears was the voice of "Grey Beaver" in the 2018 animated film White Fang.

Recent TV spots include a 2019 supporting role in season 2 of the TV series Yellowstone and a cameo in season 2 of Rutherford Falls on Peacock.

Other work In 2005, Spears and his brother Michael modeled for Cochiti Pueblo fashion designer Virgil Ortiz for his "Indigene" clothing line, and were featured on the cover of the August 2005 issue of New Mexico Magazine.

Awards FAITA Best Actor Award in 2004 for Hallmark Entertainment's miniseries Dreamkeeper.

Personal life Spears co-hosted the 39th Annual American Indian Film Institute Awards in 2014 along with actress Tonantzin Carmelo. Spears attended and was a mentor at the second annual HatcH Audiovisual Festival in Bozeman, Montana in October 2005.

Spears and his brother Michael also worked with Native Wind and ICOUP (Intertribal Council on Utility Policy), of which their father Patrick Spears was formerly president. ICOUP was formed in 1994 to provide a forum for utility issues discussion from regulatory and economic perspectives.

Spears speaks some Lakota. He is an avid outdoorsman, powwow singer, and Traditional and Grass dancer. He also travels nationally as a keynote speaker. He currently resides in Montana.

Filmography Year Title Role Notes 1993 Geronimo Ishkiye TV 1998 The Witness Wampishe Film 2002 The Slaughter Rule Tracy Two Dogs Film 2003 Dreamkeeper Shane Chasing Horse Film 2003 Edge of America Franklin Film 2004 Black Cloud Black Cloud Film 2005 Into the West Red Lance TV mini-series 2007 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Chasing Crane TV 2008 Comanche Moon Quannah Parker TV mini-series 2011 Guns, Girls and Gambling Darkeyes Film 2011 The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy Wakaree Film 2011 Yellow Rock Angry Wolf Film 2011-2012 Hell On Wheels Joseph Black Moon TV series 2013 We The PeopleNarrator Documentary 2014 Sleepy Hollow Big Ash TV series 2015 Z Nation Gordon Red Hawk TV series 2015 Bone Tomahawk Warrior Film 2017 Longmire Elwood TV series 2018 White Fang Grey Beaver Animated Film 2019 Yellowstone Marcus TV series 2021 Chief Tendoy General Parker Short Film 2022 Rutherford Falls Curtis TV series 2022 Deep Woods Nick Youngblood Film 2025 Frontier Crucible Film