Frank Sotonoma "Grey Wolf" Salsedo (May 20, 1929 – July 3, 2009) was a Native American actor. He was often cast in smaller parts centered on his Native American heritage. As an actor, Salsedo has performed in movies such as '' The Ghost Dance'', released in 1980 in which he played Ocacio, ''

Magic in the Water ''Magic in the Water'' is a 1995 American family film directed by Rick Stevenson and starring Mark Harmon, Joshua Jackson and Sarah Wayne. It is about a fictional lake monster in British Columbia. The film was distributed by TriStar Pictures a ...

'' (1995) playing Uncle Kipper, '' Across the Great Divide'' (1976) in which he played Mosa, '' Creepshow 2'' (1987) in which he played Ben Whitemoon (segment: Old Chief Wood'nhead), '' Journey to Spirit Island'' (1988) as Hoots and '' Best of the Best 2'' (1993) in which he played Charlie.

Early life and education

Frank Sotonoma SalsedoFrank Salsedo biography at ''The New York Times''
/ref>Frank Salsedo Overview at Turner Classic Movies
/ref> was born on May 20, 1929 in

Santa Rosa, California Santa Rosa ( Spanish for " Saint Rose") is a city and the county seat of Sonoma County, in the North Bay region of the Bay Area in California. Its estimated 2019 population was 178,127. It is the largest city in California's Wine Country and ...

to Gilbert and Helen Salsedo. He had five brothers (Delano, Lovedale Richard, Gilbert, Hal and Kenny) and six sisters (Helen Rose, Jane, Lola, Gertrude, Vera and Donna). He graduated from the

Sherman Institute Sherman Indian High School (SIHS) is an off-reservation boarding high school for Native Americans. Originally opened in 1892 as the Perris Indian School, in Perris, California, the school was relocated to Riverside, California in 1903, under the n ...

and then enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

. After his

discharge Discharge may refer to Expel or let go * Discharge, the act of firing a gun * Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer * Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from ser ...

he became a CPA and graduated from Sawyer's Business College.

Career

Salsedo was the President of

Jay Silverheels Jay Silverheels (born Harold Jay Smith; May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was an Indigenous Canadian actor and athlete. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the Native American companion of the Lone Ranger in the American Western television s ...

Acting School in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, where he found his dream job as an actor. As a member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to me ...

he made over 50 movies and helped other Native Americans in the

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, ...

. He portrayed the role of White Bird in the 1975 television movie, '' I Will Fight No More Forever''. Salsedo appeared in one episode of the short-lived 1977 series, ''

Code R ''Code R'' is an American action-adventure television series that aired on CBS from January 21 to June 10, 1977. ''Code R'' focuses on the emergency services (police, fire, and ocean rescue) of the California Channel Islands. The series starred ...

''. One of his earliest roles in film was as Ocacio in ''The Ghost Dance'' (1980). Salsedo played Charlie in '' Best of the Best 2'' (1993). In 1995, Salsedo played Uncle Kipper in ''

''. The next year, he portrayed Nakki in ''

North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...

'' (1996), opposite

James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972) – a performance which earned him Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Suppo ...

. In 1998, he appeared alongside

Chris Farley Christopher Crosby Farley (February 15, 1964 – December 18, 1997) was an American actor and comedian. Farley was known for his loud, energetic comedic style, and was a member of Chicago's Second City Theatre and later a cast member of the ...

and

Matthew Perry Matthew Langford Perry (born August 19, 1969) is an American-Canadian actor. He is best known for his role as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004). As well as starring in the short-lived television series '' St ...

in '' Almost Heroes''. He appeared in six episodes of ''

Walker, Texas Ranger ''Walker, Texas Ranger'' is an American action crime television series created by Leslie Greif and Paul Haggis. It was inspired by the film '' Lone Wolf McQuade'', with both this series and that film starring Chuck Norris as a member of the ...

''.

Personal life and death

Salsedo was the hereditary

chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the bo ...

of the

Wappo The Wappo ( endonym: ''Micewal'') are an indigenous people of northern California. Their traditional homelands are in Napa Valley, the south shore of Clear Lake, Alexander Valley, and Russian River valley. They are distantly related to the ...

tribe of

Sonoma County, California Sonoma County () is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, its population was 488,863. Its county seat and largest city is Santa Rosa. It is to the north of Marin County and the south of Mendoci ...

. At the time of his death, Salsedo, along with the Mishewal Wappo Tribe, was involved in a federal recognition lawsuit. Salsedo was married to Leta Stephens and they had two daughters, Lynette and Eugenia, and two sons, Ramon and Rick. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Delano, his sister Helen Rose Hageman and his wife. In addition to his alias, "Grey Wolf", Salsedo also had an additional nickname, "Beverly Hills". Salsedo died on July 3, 2009 in

Manteca, California Manteca (Spanish for "lard") is a city in San Joaquin County, California. The city had a population of 83,498 as of the 2020 census. History Manteca is a city in the Central Valley of California, located east of San Francisco. It was fou ...

at the age of 80. He is survived by: his sisters Jane Couey, Lola Garcia, Gertrude Merrifield, Vera Guillory, Donna Walters; brothers Lovedale Richard, Gilbert, Hal, and Kenny Salsedo; children Lynnette Holmes, Ramon, Rick, and Eugenia Salsedo; grandchildren Mario Reno, Jasmine and Ryan Salsedo, Nicholas Noah; great-grandchildren Kailynn and Quinn Reno; nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Salsedo, Frank 2009 deaths 1929 births Native American male actors American male film actors American male television actors 20th-century American male actors Wappo