Chaske Spencer

Chaske Spencer was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and spent his formative years on Indian Reservations in Montana and Idaho. His heritage includes Lakota, Nez Perce, Cherokee, Muscogee, French, and Dutch, and he is an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of Montana. Spencer initially pursued photography after graduating from Clearwater Valley High School in 1994 and attending Lewis-Clark State College. However, his early passion for acting, ignited by performances at the Lewiston Civic Theater, eventually led him to New York City to hone his craft.

Spencer’s career began with off-off Broadway roles, including the lead in Dracula, and performances at prestigious venues like The Public Theatre and The Roundabout Theatre Company. A significant turning point came with his casting as Sam Uley in “The Twilight Saga: New Moon” (2009), a role he reprised in subsequent films: “Eclipse,” “Breaking Dawn — Part 1,” and “Breaking Dawn — Part 2.” This exposure led to greater recognition and diverse opportunities, including starring in “Shouting Secrets” (2011) and “Winter in the Blood” (2013), both earning him Best Actor awards at the American Indian Film Festival. He also appeared in “Desert Cathedral” (2014).

His television work further expanded his profile, with recurring roles as Deputy Billy Raven in Cinemax’s “Banshee” (2015–2016), Chayton Dockery in Amazon Prime’s “Sneaky Pete” (2017–2018), and Dominic Masters in NBC’s “Blindspot” (2019–2020). Spencer’s critically acclaimed performance opposite Emily Blunt in the BBC/Amazon miniseries “The English” (2022) garnered him a British Academy Television Award nomination for Best Actor. He also joined the Marvel universe as Henry “Black Crow” Lopez in “Echo” (2023) and was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Independent Spirit Award for “Wild Indian” (2021). Upcoming projects include “Wind River: The Next Chapter” and “Teacup.”