Rod Rondeaux is a Native American actor and stuntman. As an actor his work includes the 2005 miniseries, '' Into the West'', ''

Comanche Moon ''Comanche Moon'' (1997) is a western novel by American writer Larry McMurtry. It is the fourth and final book he published in the ''Lonesome Dove'' series. In terms of chronology, it is the second installment of the narrative. A Comanche Moo ...

'' in 2008, The

Cayuse Cayuse may refer to: *Cayuse people, a people native to Oregon, United States *Cayuse language, an extinct language of the Cayuse people *Cayuse, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the United States *Cayuse horse, an archaic term for a feral or ...

in the 2010 film, '' Meek's Cutoff'' and the lead role in the 2015 film, ''

Mekko ''Mekko'' is a 2015 American drama film directed by Sterlin Harjo. Harjo's third feature film, it is a thriller set among a community of homeless Native Americans in Tulsa. Plot Mekko leaves prison, having served a long sentence for having ki ...

''. His stunt work includes ''

Reel Injun ''Reel Injun'' is a 2009 Canadian documentary film directed by Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond (filmmaker), Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge, and Jeremiah Hayes (filmmaker), Jeremiah Hayes that explores the portrayal of Native Americans in film. ''R ...

'' and ''Comanche Moon''.

Background

For years, Rondeaux was on the rodeo circuit as a horse rider, bull rider, steer wrestler and team roper. His entry into film stunt work was accidental. The film he was asked to be the double in was ''

Crazy Horse Crazy Horse ( lkt, Tȟašúŋke Witkó, italic=no, , ; 1840 – September 5, 1877) was a Lakota war leader of the Oglala band in the 19th century. He took up arms against the United States federal government to fight against encroachment by ...

''. It was for actor Michael Greyeyes. In 2001, he received the outstanding achievement in stunts award from the First Americans in the Arts. Rondeaux won two awards for his role in the 2015 film, ''Mekko''. He won the best actor award at the 40th Annual

American Indian Film Festival The American Indian Film Festival is an annual non-profit film festival in San Francisco, California, United States. It is the world's oldest venue dedicated solely to Native American/First Nations films and prepared the way for the 1979 formati ...

and at the 2015

Red Nation Film Festival The Red Nation Film Festival is a film festival focused on films about indigenous people. The festival was founded in 1995 and is curated by Joanelle Romero. History The Red Nation Film Festival was founded in 1995 by Joanelle Romero, also ...

Career

Rondeaux's earliest role was as Tall Bull in the 1996 film ''Crazy Horse,'' which was directed by

John Irvin John Irvin (born 7 May 1940) is an English film director. Born in Newcastle upon Tyne, Northumberland, he began his career by directing a number of documentaries and television works, including the BBC adaptation of John le Carré's '' Tinker ...

. For his role in '' Meek's Cutoff,'' as a mysterious and suddenly appearing Native American who joins a lost wagon train on the Oregon Trail, the language he spoke was his own native tongue. Rondeaux had his first lead role in the 2015 film, ''''

''. He played a man who served 19 years incarcerated for murder. Upon his release he discovers his family doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. He has to come to terms with his current situation. In addition, he also has to deal with a violent man (played by

Zahn McClarnon Zahn Tokiya-ku McClarnon (born October 24, 1966) is an American actor known for his performances in the Western crime drama series '' Longmire'', the second season of ''Fargo'', and the second season of '' Westworld''. In 2022, he played the le ...

). Director Sterlin Harjo actually cast Rondeaux the night before the shooting began. Having talked to the actor a couple of times, Harjo had a good feeling about him. With Rondeaux's background as a rodeo bull rider and Hollywood stuntman, he felt he had the right life experience for the role. Film critic Dennis Harvey of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' complimented Rod Rondeaux's "soulful performance", and made comparisons the film to two classic films set on

skid row A skid row or skid road is an impoverished area, typically urban, in English-speaking North America whose inhabitants are mostly poor people "on the skids". This specifically refers to poor or homeless, considered disreputable, downtrodden or fo ...

, ''

On the Bowery ''On the Bowery'' is a 1956 American docufiction film directed by Lionel Rogosin. The film, Rogosin's first feature was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film. After the Second World War, Lionel Rogosin made a vow to f ...

'' (1956) and '' The Exiles'' (1961). Rondeaux played Raymond in Babak Jalali's 2018 film, ''Land''. Also in 2018, he was in Susanna White's ''Woman Walks Ahead''.Turner Classic Movies
Woman Walks Ahead (2018
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Filmography (actor)

References

External links

Imdb: Rod Rondeaux

Teddy O'Toole's: Stuntman from Montana: The Rod Rondeaux Story
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rondeaux, Rod 1958 births American male television actors Living people 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male film actors Native American male actors People from Los Angeles