Wes Studi

When I saw the 'Geronimo' script and was offered the part, it was overwhelming in that it brought back all of those feelings - made me feel what it's like to be in those shoes, the same shoes Geronimo himself might have been in.

In the '70s, with movies like 'Little Big Man,' westerns began to have a little different flavor, and I think casting people and filmmakers began to realize, 'Hey, maybe we can get a little more authentic in terms of who we cast here.' That kind of opened up the gates.

I like to be able to raise people's consciousness, yes. And to remind that those of us involved in the receiving end of the oppression, we have a duty.

We were created to take care of, steward the land. That is mankind's purpose on earth, to steward and take care of the land as it feeds off of it.

Irony is one of my favorite aspects of life.

I myself, as an American Indian, feel like a failure in a way. I have not been able to do anything about the fact that these large corporations are taking so much natural gas and oil out of the soil. It seems like we're always involved in fighting something. It's tiresome.

I think that's every actor's dream, actually: to play lead parts.

I'm proud to have served there for 12 months with Alpha Company of the 39th Infantry.

An old-codger comedy - that's what I want to do.

At times, I'm thinking negatively, thinking that we don't learn from our mistakes, but then I get more positive-minded. I do believe in the good of humanity.

At times, you're welcome, depending on what's being cast. 'Dances with Wolves' - they wanted authentic-looking Indians in the film, and so they got it. The same was true with 'The Last of the Mohicans' and 'Geronimo.'

I tried bull-riding... I wasn't good at all: I don't think I ever got eight seconds anywhere. But then, after that, I discovered acting through community theater.