Gary Farmer

Gary Dale Farmer (born June 12, 1953) is a Canadian First Nations (Cayuga) actor and musician. He is best known for his Independent Spirit Award-nominated roles in Powwow Highway, Dead Man (1995) and Smoke Signals (1998). He briefly reprised his role as Nobody from Dead Man in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999).

He is the founding director of an urban Indian radio network, Aboriginal Voices Radio Network.

Early life and education Farmer was born in Ohsweken, Ontario into the Cayuga Nation and Wolf Clan of the Haudenosaunee/Iroquois Confederacy. He grew up in the American city of Buffalo where his father worked as a crane operator. His second cousin once removed is fellow actor Graham Greene. Farmer attended Syracuse University and Ryerson Polytechnic University, where he studied photography and film production.

Farmer has performed in both the film and television adaptations of Tony Hillerman's novels. He played "Cowboy" Albert Dashee (Hopi) in the 1991 film The Dark Wind, and Captain Largo (Navajo) in the television adaptations of Coyote Waits (2003) and A Thief of Time (2004).

He played a supporting character Burt in the 2001 crime thriller The Score starring Robert De Niro, Marlon Brando, Ed Norton, Angela Bassett and Paul Soles. Farmer appeared in two episodes of the popular children's television show Big Comfy Couch as Wobbly.

Farmer played the role of Fagin in Twist, the 2003 independent adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic novel Oliver Twist, and the role of "Iktome" in the 2003 all Native American cast TV film Dreamkeeper, directed by Steve Barron. He played Deputy Bob in Demon Knight. Other major roles included Henry Colville, with Kris Kristofferson, in Disappearances (2006) and Jack in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2013) by Arnaud Desplechin.

He recorded the audiobook version of Louise Erdrich's 2012 novel The Round House, winner of the 2012 National Book Award for Fiction.

Farmer appeared in season 1 of the Sundance TV series The Red Road in 2014.

In 2020, Farmer had brief appearances in the films First Cow and The Dark Divide.

Farmer appeared as the recurring character Uncle Brownie in the highly-acclaimed FX series Reservation Dogs from 2021-2023, and as Dan Twelvetrees in the Syfy series Resident Alien.

He was nominated for Independent Spirit Awards for his roles in the movies Powwow Highway, Dead Man, and Smoke Signals

Music He has a blues band called Gary Farmer and the Troublemakers. The band has released two CDs, Love Songs and Other Issues in 2007 and Lovesick Blues in 2009.

Other Farmer is a regular supporter of University of Nebraska Omaha Wambli Sapa Memorial Pow Wow, held a week before the Gathering of Nations Powwow. He makes appearances selling his CD's and occasionally giving speeches. University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) considers Farmer a "very good friend". Farmer received an honorary degree from Fort Lewis College in 2022.

Filmography

Film

Television