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Eric Schweig

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Eric Schweig
Born
Ray Dean Thrasher

(1967-06-19) 19 June 1967 (age 58)
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
OccupationActor
Years active1985–present
Children2 foster children

Eric Schweig (born Ray Dean Thrasher; 19 June 1967[1]) is a Canadian Inuvialuk actor best known for his role as Chingachgook's son Uncas in The Last of the Mohicans (1992).

Early life

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Schweig was born in Inuvik, Northwest Territories.[2] He is of mixed race (Inuit, Portuguese, German, and Senegalese).[3] He is the oldest of seven children, who were all adopted out as part of the Canadian government's failed attempt at forcing Inuit and First Nations children to assimilate into white society. Schweig's biological mother died of alcoholism in 1989. He never met her. "She didn’t drink a drop of alcohol until we were taken away," says Schweig. "We were part of the whole assimilation program—forcibly taken away, although my adoptive parents told me I wasn't."[4] Schweig was adopted at six months of age by an English-speaking German-French family.[5] He spent his childhood in Inuvik until he was six, when his family moved to Bermuda. They moved back to Canada after a year.[6]

He described his adoptive parents as having discouraged him from connecting with his Inuit heritage.[7] Schweig said, "I eventually grew tired of living in a prison without walls and ran away when I was 16. What transpired between then and now has been a roller coaster of alcohol, drugs, violence, failed relationships, despair and confusion. Who am I? Where do I come from? Where is my family? Where do I belong? When life's mystery has been shattered by strangers watching over you, a lot of these questions are lost."[8]

After running away, he experienced homelessness and supported himself by framing houses.[9] In 1985, he was part of the cast of The Cradle Will Fall, an experimental adaptation of Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening produced by Theatre of Change at the Actor's Lab; this was his first experience as an actor. He was later approached by a producer who suggested he audition for a role in the movie called The Shaman's Source (1990). The film launched his career in the film industry.

Career

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Schweig's numerous screen credits (over thirty) include his portrayal of Uncas in the epic motion picture The Last of the Mohicans (1992) and Pike Dexter in the movie Big Eden (2000), for which he won the Outstanding Actor Award at the Outfest film festival.[10] In 1992, he was cast as Black Thunder in the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation mini-series By Way of the Stars. Among his period film credits since The Last of the Mohicans, Eric became the famous Mohawk leader Joseph Brant/Thayendanegea for TNT's telefilm The Broken Chain (1993), playing for the first time the main character in a movie (Schweig appeared with Wes Studi again for this motion picture). It was shot primarily in North Carolina. He starred in Disney's The Scarlet Letter and Tom and Huck with Amy Wright in 1995. In 1996 he appeared as a Comanche protagonist, Buffalo Hump, in the Larry McMurtry miniseries Dead Man's Walk. More recently, he played the lead role in films addressing more contemporary issues facing aboriginal and Native American people: Skins (2002), Cowboys and Indians: The J.J. Harper Story (2003) and One Dead Indian (2006).

Personal life

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Schweig was interested in the arts in childhood, and has since become a master carver.[11] Under the tutelage of artist Vern Etzerza, he studied traditional Pacific Coast carving before directing his talent specifically towards custom and traditional Inuit Spirit Masks, in collaboration with master carver Art Thompson.

Schweig previously struggled with alcoholism, which he attributed to trauma from his abusive childhood.[12] He has stated that Big Eden (2000) was the first movie in which he was entirely sober.

In 2017, Eric adopted two foster siblings.[13]

Awards

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  • 2000 - Grand Jury Award L.A. Outfest, Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film for Big Eden
  • 2008 - Honorary Doctorate of Education from Nipissing University
  • 2011 - Nomination for a Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series for his role as corrupt band Chief Andy Fraser in the TV series Blackstone.

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1987 The Shaman's Source Robert Crow
1992 By Way of the Stars (TV mini-series) Black Thunder
The Last of the Mohicans Uncas
1993 For Love and Glory (TV) Moses Moon
The Broken Chain (TV) Joseph Brant / Thayendanegea
1994 Due South (Pilot) Inuit Hunter
Squanto: A Warrior's Tale Epenow
Pontiac Moon Ernest Ironplume
1995 500 Nations (TV) (voice)
Follow the River (TV) Wildcat
The Scarlet Letter Metacomet
Tom and Huck Injun Joe [14]
1996 Red River (TV) Napoléon
Dead Man's Walk (TV) Buffalo Hump
2000 Big Eden Pike Dexter
2002 Skins Rudy Yellow Lodge [15][16]
2003 Mr. Barrington Samuel
Cowboys and Indians: The John Joseph Harper Story (TV) Harry Wood
The Missing Club Foot El Brujo / Pesh-Chidin
2005 Into the West Sitting Bull
It Waits Joseph Riverwind
Shania: A Life in Eight Albums (TV) Jerry Twain
2006 One Dead Indian (TV) Sam George
Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis (TV) Terry Doxtator
Not Like Everyone Else Tim Blackbear
Mr. Soul Steve Lonethunder
2007 Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee Gall
2009-2014 Cashing In (TV series) Matthew Tommy
Kissed by Lightning Solomon 'Bug' King
2009-2015 Blackstone Chief Andy Fraser
2010 A Flesh Offering Mishomis
Casino Jack Chief Poncho
2013 Maïna Quujuuq
Longmire Dolan Lone Elk
2014 Elementary Leon Moody S3 E6: Terra Pericolosa
2017 Supernatural Sergeant Joe Philips Season 13 Episode 6
2018 The Grizzlies Harry Aviak
2020 Barkskins Chief Tehonikonhraken Season 1, Episodes 7 & 8
Brother, I Cry Dean
2023 Little Bird Asin TV series

References

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  1. ^ Mike Antonucci, "An actor's odyssey: Drinking, homelessness preceded movie success", San Jose Mercury News, 25 September 2002 [1]
  2. ^ "Eric Schweig fan clubs springing up". Daily Gleaner. 28 December 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  3. ^ RezolutionPictures (23 June 2023). "Meet Eric Schweig: Clip from COMING HOME (Wanna Icipus Kupi)". Retrieved 22 January 2024 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ , "Urban NDN" January 2009
  5. ^ Inuvik Drum
  6. ^ Inwood, Damian (22 December 1992). "From Inuvik to Bermuda - and now Siberia". The Province. p. 59. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  7. ^ Kampert, Patrick (12 December 1993). "'Chain' gives Native Americans historical due". Chicago Tribune. p. 223. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Adoption Speech" 19 February 1999, Vancouver Inner City Foster Care Conference, (Retrieved 11 October 2009)
  9. ^ Morris, Wesley (6 October 2002). "Clearer days for Eric Schweig". The Boston Globe. p. 230. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  10. ^ Aronczyk, Melissa (28 November 2003). "He's a pussycat behind the mask". The Toronto Star. p. 56. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  11. ^ Goulais, Bob (2 October 2004). "Character actors portray Twain family in movie on singer's life". North Bay Nugget. p. 31. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  12. ^ Graman, Kevin (8 September 2006). "Native American actor shares story line". Spokesman.com. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  13. ^ Gwal, Anurag (22 December 2019). "Caregiver Voices: "I get the peace I didn't have as a kid by providing it to these kids" • VACFSS". www.vacfss.com. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  14. ^ McKay, John (23 May 1996). "Just cut the stereotyping: Indian actor will accept reasonable bad-guy roles". The Ottawa Citizen. p. 55. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  15. ^ Anderson, Jeffery M. (27 September 2002). "The not-so original 'Skins'". The San Francisco Examiner. p. 86. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
  16. ^ McCarty, Catherine (25 September 2004). "Skins premiere success". North Bay Nugget. p. 38. Retrieved 15 May 2025.
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