Michelle Thrush: Difference between revisions

'''Michelle Thrush''' (born February 6, 1967) is a [[Canadians|Canadian]] actress and [[First Nations in Canada|First Nations]] activist for [[Indigenous peoples in Canada|Aboriginal Canadians]] and the other [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas]]. She is best known for her leading role as Gail Stoney in ''[[Blackstone (TV series)|Blackstone]]'', for which she won the [[Gemini Award]] for Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role in 2011,<ref name=indiancountry>[http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/09/cree-actress-michelle-thrush-wins-gemini-award-for-rez-drama-blackstone/ "Cree Actress Michelle Thrush Wins Gemini Award for Rez Drama ‘Blackstone’"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120322122546/http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/09/15/cree-actress-michelle-thrush-wins-gemini-award-for-rez-drama-blackstone-54076 |date=2012-03-22 }}. ''Indian Country Today'', September 15, 2011.</ref> and her recurring roles as Sylvie LeBret in ''[[North of 60]]'' and Deanna Martin in ''[[Arctic Air]]''.

Thrush starred in the [[Palme d'Or]] and [[CesarCésar award]]-nominated film ''[[Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian]]''.

Thrush, who is [[Cree]], was born and raised in [[Calgary]], Alberta, Canada,<ref name=indiancountry /> by parents she admitswho were chronic alcoholics.<ref name="Windspeaker"/> She recalls being called "Squaw" at Bowness High School and bullied because of her parents' illness. In grade nine she changed schools and attended Calgary's Plains Indian Cultural Survival School., Therewhere she felt accepted for the first time. SheCommenting on her experience at that school, she stated: "There were other Native students there, and I learned so many wonderful things about herselfmyself, herabout language,my culture, singingabout andmy language, about drumming. Sheand remembers:singing. "They filled in a lot of the voids that my soul was just begging for."<ref name="AvenueCalgary">{{Cite web |url=https://www.avenuecalgary.com/City-Life/From-Bowness-High-to-Blackstone-Meet-Actress-Michelle-Thrush/ |title=Meet Actress Michelle Thrush |last=Magnan |first=Michelle |date=February 3, 2015 |website=avenuecalgary.com |access-date=November 9, 2018}}</ref>

Her childhood hardships affected her profoundly. Though she acted in her first film at 17, it did not occur to her it could be a career. She planned to become a social worker and help children. She met [[Gordon Tootoosis]], a First Nations actor, who told her: "[I]fIf [acting] is what your heart wants, you need to follow it and be true." At this point her parents were sober. With no other ties to Calgary, at age 20 she moved to Vancouver and found an agent.<ref name="AvenueCalgary"/>

She has starred in many notable films throughout her career, particularly in films that deal with issues about [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas]], ranging from [[Canadian Aboriginals]] to [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans/American Indians]] ([[United States|U.S.]]). These include ''[[Isaac Littlefeathers]]'', ''[[Unnatural & Accidental]]'', ''[[Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (film)|Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee]]'', ''[[Skins (2002 film)|Skins]]'', ''[[Dead Man]]'', ''[[Dreamkeeper]]'' and ''Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian''.

! class="unsortable" | Notes

|data-sort-value="Dark Wind, The" | ''[[The Dark Wind (1991 film)|The Dark Wind]]''

|data-sort-value="Crow: Stairway to Heaven, The" | ''[[The Crow: Stairway to Heaven]]''

|Shyatsoo/Aunt Merna (voice)

! class="unsortable" | Notes

|data-sort-value="Wake, The" | ''[[The Wake (1986 film)|The Wake]]''

|data-sort-value="Legend of Kootenai Brown, The" | ''[[The Legend of Kootenai Brown]]''

! class="unsortable" | Notes

[[Category:First NationsCree actresses]]