August Schellenberg

August Schellenberg
August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the Free Willy film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in Black Robe (1991), The New World (2005), and dozens of other films and television shows.
During his career, Schellenberg won a Gemini Award in 1986 and a Genie Award in 1991, as well as being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2007.
Life and career
Schellenberg was born and lived in Montreal, Quebec, until he moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1967. He was of English, Mohawk and Swiss-German descent. He also spoke French. He was based in Toronto until 1995. He lived in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, actress Joan Karasevich. He was the father of three daughters, two with Karasevich. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada from 1963 to 1966.
His initial work was in the Don Shebib-directed coming-of-age film Rip-Off, in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal. During the 1990s he had major roles in Black Robe (as Chomina), Free Willy and its sequels (as Randolph Johnson), Iron Will (Ned Dodd), True Heart (Khonanesta), and TV film Crazy Horse (Sitting Bull). He went on to star as Chief Powhatan in Terrence Malick's 2005 film The New World. He also had roles in Disney's Eight Below and the doco within a film The Green Chain (2007). In 2011, he appeared in two episodes of the television series Stargate Universe as Yaozu. His favorite role was that of Sitting Bull in the film Crazy Horse, a character he reprised in the film version of the Dee Brown bestseller Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, for which he received an Emmy nomination. He also starred in Dreamkeeper (2003) as Pete Chasing Horse.
Schellenberg was nominated for three Genie Awards and won one (for Black Robe). He was also nominated for two Gemini Awards, and won one (for the television movie The Prodigal).
In 2012, he performed the title role in an all-aboriginal production of William Shakespeare's King Lear at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, alongside a cast that also included Billy Merasty as Gloucester, Tantoo Cardinal as Regan, Jani Lauzon in a dual role as Cordelia and the Fool, Craig Lauzon as Kent, and the play's assistant director, Lorne Cardinal, as The Duke of Albany.
During his lifetime, Schellenberg taught acting seminars at Toronto's Centre for Indigenous Theatre and York University. He conducted motivational workshops in schools and for cultural and community organizations across North America. Schellenberg's younger brother played Dior in Grey's Anatomy, season 5. Shortly after that, August died of lung cancer.
Death
Schellenberg died on August 15, 2013, in Dallas, Texas after a long battle with lung cancer. He was interred at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.
Filmography
Film
Rip-Off (1971)
A Fan's Notes (1972)
Between Friends (1973)
One Man (1977) - Ernie Carrick
Power Play (1978) - Minh
Drying Up the Streets (1978) - Nick
Bear Island (1979) - Marine Technician
The Coffin Affair (1980) - Wilbert Coffin
Death Hunt (1981) - Deak De Bleargue
Heavy Metal (1981) - Norl (segment "Den") / Taarak (segment "Taarna") (voice)
Kings and Desperate Men (1981) - Stanley Aldini
Latitude 55° (1982) - Josef Przysiezny
The Ruffian (1983) - Nelson Harting
Running Brave (1983) - Billy's Father
Cross Country (1983) - Glen Cosgrove
Covergirl (1984) - Joel Vacchio
Best Revenge (1984) - Captain of 'Recon Star'
The Painted Door (1984)
Confidential (1986) - Charles Ripley
Mark of Cain (1986) - Otto
Qui a tiré sur nos histoires d'amour (1986) - Fabien
Long Lance (1986) - (voice)
The Return of Ben Casey (1988, TV Movie) - Dr. Madigan
Divided Loyalties (1990)
Black Robe (1991) - Chomina
Lakota Moon (1992, TV Movie) - Bull Elk
Free Willy (1993) - Randolph Johnson
Geronimo (1993, TV Movie) - Cochise
Iron Will (1994) - Ned Dodd
Getting Gotti (1994, TV Movie) Willie Boy Johnson
Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee (1994, TV Movie) - Dick Wilson
Tecumseh: The Last Warrior (1995, TV Movie) - Black Hoof
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home (1995) - Randolph Johnson
Crazy Horse (1996, TV Movie) - Sitting Bull
The Siege at Ruby Ridge (1996, TV Movie) - Native American
Free Willy 3: The Rescue (1997) - Randolph Johnson
Silence (1997) - Johnny
True Heart (1997) - Khonanesta
Scattering Dad (1998, TV Movie) - Fierce Crow
High Noon (2000, TV Movie) - Antonio
The Unsaid (2001) - Detective Hannah
Dreamkeeper (2003, TV Movie) - Grandpa
Tremors 4: The Legend Begins (2004) - Tecopa
Going The Distance (2004) - Emile
The New World (2005) - Chief Powhatan
Eight Below (2006) - Mindo
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007, TV Movie) - Sitting Bull
The Green Chain (2007) - The Executive - John Clements
Missionary Man (2007) - White Deer
45 R.P.M. (2008) - Peter George Moses
The Last Movie (2012) - Samuel Booker (final film role)
Television/miscellaneous
Shoestring Theatre (1964, Episode: "The Dark Mirror")
The New Avengers (1977, Episode: "Forward Base") - Bailey
The Hitchhiker (1983, Episode: "When Morning Comes") - Bob Ames
Tramp at the Door (1985) - Albert Fournier
The Equalizer (1986, Episode: "Unpunished Crimes") - Brennan
Phillip Marlowe (1986, Episode: "Blackmailers Don't Shoot") - Johnny Tango
Lance et compte (1986 television series) - Allan Goldberg
Airwolf (1987, Episode: "Deathtrain") - Gregori Nobokov
Champagne Charlie (1989) - General Butler
North of 60 (1994–1995) - Ben Montour
The Adventures of Tintin (1992) - (English version, voice)
Walker Texas Ranger (1994–1995) - Billy Gray Wolf
Lonesome Dove: The Series (1994, Episode: "Last Stand") - Chief Iron Bow
The West - episodes - Speck of the Future, Death Runs Riot, and Fight No More Forever - voice (1996)
So Weird (2000, Episode: "Destiny") - Tom Martinez
Chiefs (2002, TV Mini-Series documentary) - Sitting Bull
The Making of 'DreamKeeper (2004, Video documentary short) - Himself
Making 'The New World (2006, Video documentary) - Himself
Saving Grace (2007–2010) - GeePaw
Grey's Anatomy (2008, Episode: "These Ties That Bind") - Clay Bedonie
References
External links
1936 births
2013 deaths
20th-century Canadian male actors
21st-century Canadian male actors
Anglophone Quebec people
Best Supporting Actor Genie and Canadian Screen Award winners
Burials at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery
Canadian expatriates in the United States
Canadian male film actors
Canadian male Shakespearean actors
Canadian male television actors
Canadian male voice actors
Canadian Métis people
Canadian people of English descent
Canadian people of Mohawk descent
Canadian people of Swiss-German descent
Deaths from cancer in Texas
Deaths from lung cancer
First Nations male actors
Male actors from Montreal
National Theatre School of Canada alumni