One Proud Hostile

A conversation with Wes Studi, fresh off his blockbuster portrayal of the chief yellow hawk and marking the 25th anniversary of his role as Geronimo.

- Henry C. Parke

When actor Wes Studi, fresh from the success of Hostiles, appeared on the 2018 Oscars to present a movie montage highlighting military service, the 70-year-old mentioned that he’d volunteered for Vietnam, and asked if anyone else had.

He was met with silence.

“I wasn’t surprised,” he told True West, with a chuckle. “I said it as a joke. I know the audience is not full of veterans, and their attitude toward veterans is not probably as complimentary as you’d find in other audiences.”

He concluded his introduction with words in Cherokee, his native language. “It was to Cherokee veterans, as well as all military veterans, kind of a shout-out that it’s a good day.”

It was indeed a good day for veterans and American Indians. While this year, much was made of the racial diversity of nominees and the strides of women, most viewers were unaware that Studi was the first American Indian to be a presenter since fellow Cherokee Will Rogers hosted the Academy Awards in 1934.

Although lacking Oscar nominations, the critical and popular success of Hostiles, now available on Blu-ray and 4K, is no mystery to Studi.

“What sets Hostiles apart for me is simply the story. I think it speaks not only to the old Western of yesteryear, [but also] to the world we live in today.

“There’s been a dearth of Westerns on the big screen for a number of years because nobody’s been able to make a successful one since, say, Unforgiven. It’s been a long time, and Western fans have been hungry for another one.

“Along comes Hostiles, and she’ll go for another ride. I think we’re probably going to see a few more in the next few years.