Lily Gladstone: The Native American actress who could make Oscars history

Native American actress Lily Gladstone, known for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, has the potential to make Oscars history as the first Native American to win the best actress award.

The star Lily Gladstone of Killers of the Flower Moon could become the first Native American to win best actress.

The 37-year-old nominee marks a historic moment as the inaugural Native American woman to contend for the esteemed title of best actress at the Oscars. The verdict on whether she secures the honor awaits the ceremony in Los Angeles on 10 March.

Gladstone, although not new to acting, gained prominence through appearances in television series like Billions and films such as Certain Women. However, her breakout came with her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, a three and a half-hour masterpiece helmed by Martin Scorsese.

Reflecting on her nomination, the actress underscores the long-overdue recognition, considering the indigenous origins of cinema. She highlights the early involvement of Native people in film, notably in documenting their own culture and dances, which she believes predates mainstream cinema.

Having already clinched a Golden Globe for her portrayal, she humbly acknowledges the collective effort and support that enabled her journey. While she isn’t the first indigenous performer to vie for the best actress accolade—preceded by Keisha Castle-Hughes of Whale Rider and Yalitza Aparicio of Roma—Gladstone stands as the initial representative from the United States.

Despite being a frontrunner for the Oscar, her victory remains uncertain, facing tough competition from Emma Stone, the lead in Poor Things, who is currently viewed as a co-favorite.

Born on 2 August 1986 in Kalispell, Montana, Gladstone grew up on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in the western US state. Her passion for acting ignited at the age of five when she became enamored with the idea of portraying an Ewok after watching Return of the Jedi and being captivated by the notion of living in tree houses.

Reflecting on her childhood in a secluded area often blanketed by snow, she recollected, “My path to acting started with watching a lot of movies because I grew up in a very rural place, that was snowed in for a good part of the year.” Her earliest realization that acting could be a career option stemmed from her desire to inhabit the fantastical life of an Ewok, prompting her to pursue acting as a means to emulate such a lifestyle.

Gladstone’s journey into acting commenced with local productions, including a stint as an evil stepsister in a children’s theatre rendition of Cinderella. Despite her dedication to acting, she maintained a balance between her passion and her social life, earning her the moniker of a “popular nerd” among her peers.

Her classmates recognized her potential, dubbing her “most likely to win an Oscar” in their yearbook. In 2012, she made her feature film debut in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian, sharing the screen with Benicio del Toro. Subsequent roles in Winter in the Blood and Buster’s Mal Heart opposite Rami Malek followed.

However, it was her portrayal of rancher Jamie in 2016’s Certain Women that catapulted Gladstone to prominence, earning her accolades such as the Best Supporting Actress awards from film critics’ groups in Los Angeles and Boston.

Around this period, Martin Scorsese became involved in a screen adaptation of David Grann’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a book recounting the true events of the murders of Osage people in Oklahoma during the early 1920s.

Motivated by greed, white settlers devised a scheme to marry into affluent Osage families while orchestrating the killings of tribe members poised to inherit substantial wealth, all to exploit the oil reserves on their land.

Lily Gladstone was cast as Mollie Kyle, the central figure in the narrative. Wendy Ide of The Guardian hailed Gladstone as “magnetic” in her portrayal.

“I was very much instructed and guided by the community. [They said] Osage woman carried themselves like the royal family,” Gladstone remarked about her depiction of Mollie, showcasing a reserved serenity reflective of her own demeanor.

Amidst growing acclaim for her performance, Gladstone utilized her elevated platform to spotlight the community from which she hailed. She commenced her Golden Globe acceptance speech with a Blackfeet greeting, earning widespread praise.

During an interview with BBC News, Gladstone shared that her speech began with the traditional introduction in her community, expressing gratitude for the profound impact it had within her Blackfeet Nation.

Gladstone also utilized her speech to draw attention to the historical misrepresentation of her community in Hollywood films.

She mentioned, “In the past, Native actors would deliver their lines in English, which would then be reversed by sound mixers to simulate Native languages on screen.”

Though attitudes towards Native American actors have improved, Gladstone has encountered prejudice throughout her career.

During a theater program in Montana, she and her peers were required to audition for every show of the semester. Recalling her experience with JM Barrie’s Peter Pan, Gladstone expressed her dismay, noting its portrayal as racially insensitive in Indian country.

Despite classmates suggesting she audition for the role of Tigerlily, a character perceived as derogatory, Gladstone refused, prompting a news story that unsettled the staff.

The production eventually revised the portrayal of Native characters, but Gladstone wonders if her outspokenness affected her opportunities and relationships within the college.

Reflecting on subsequent roles, she notes, “I was often assigned understudy roles despite receiving acclaim for my classwork. I sometimes wonder if my advocacy impacted my stage opportunities.”

Gladstone reflects on the transformation of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” acknowledging its initial focus on a “white saviour” narrative, which shifted significantly due to the invaluable contributions of the Osage people. She emphasizes the positive impact of Osage involvement, noting how every aspect of the script evolved for the better because of their input.

Looking ahead, Gladstone is slated to star in the sci-fi film “Memory Police,” a project that reunites her with executive producer Scorsese. Despite her involvement in weighty projects, she expresses a desire for lighter fare, recognizing a recurring theme in her work that delves into issues of imperialism, authoritarianism, indigeneity, love, family, and humanity. However, she also humorously admits that she feels overdue for a comedy.