Wesley Studi was born on 17 December 1947, in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma USA, to Maggie, a housekeeper, and Andy Studie, a ranch hand, of Cherokee descent. He is an actor, film producer, musician and author, best known for his roles in the films “Dances with Wolves”, “The Last of the Mohicans” and “Geronimo: An American Legend”.
So just how rich is Wes Studi? Sources state that Studi has established a net worth of over $1 million, as of late 2016. His wealth has been accumulated mostly through his involvement in the film and television industry during a career now spanning almost 30 years.
Wes Studi Net Worth $1 Million
Studi attended Chilocco Indian Agricultural School in Oklahoma, matriculating in 1964, and later enrolled at Northeastern University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. After his graduation, he joined the US Army, serving 18 months in Vietnam. Upon receiving an honorable military discharge, he returned home and became involved in Native American activism, joining the American Indian Movement and participating in the 1973 Wounded Knee Incident at Pine Ridge Reservation, for which he was arrested. Moving to Tahlequah soon after, Studi worked for the Cherokee Nation, helping to found a bilingual newspaper known as Cherokee Phoenix. He also began teaching the Cherokee language, but also became a professional horse trainer. His net worth was now established.
In 1983 Studi joined The American Indian Theatre Company in Tulsa, gaining experience on stage. He made his television debut with a small role in the 1988 film “Longarm”, and his feature film debut in “Pawoway Highway” in the following year. In 1990 Studi was cast in the role of a Pawnee warrior in the popular Western “Dances with Wolves”. Two years later he portrayed Magua in Michael Mann’s “The Last of the Mohicans”, and 1993 saw him playing the title character in “Geronimo: An American Legend”, portraying the legendary Chiricahua Apache leader. His performances in all three films offered an ideal showcase for his remarkable talent, making him a recognizable figure in the industry, and considerably adding to his net worth. His other notable roles of the ’90s were in the films “The Broken Chain”, “Heat”, “Deep Rising” and “Mystery Men”, giving his popularity even more of a boost.
Studi went on to land memorable parts during the 2000s as well. In the early period of the decade, he portrayed Lt. Joe Leaphom in a series Robert Redford’s films based on Tony Hillerman’s books -“Skinwalkers”, “Coyote Waits” and “A Thief of Time”, and went on to land roles in a number of prestigious films, including “The New World”, “Street Fighter”, “Three Priests”, “Avatar”, and “The Only Good Indian”, serving as executive producer in the latter movie. He also appeared in the acclaimed PBS mini-series “We Shall Remain”, portraying the importance of Native American history. Studi’s most recent film roles were in the 2015 “The Red Road” and “The Condemned 2”, and his last television appearance was in the 2016 horror series “Penny Dreadful”. All added to his wealth. He is currently filming the period drama titled “Hostiles”, announced to be released in 2017.
Throughout his career, Studi has had his hand in a number of projects, which enabled him to prove his extraordinary talent of portraying Native American characters. It has also enabled him to reach Hollywood stardom and to earn numerous awards and accolades, and a significant net worth as well.
Aside from acting, Studi is also an accomplished musician, who plays bass and guitar in the band Firecat of Discord, in which his wife is the lead singer. In addition, he has written two children’s books, “The Adventures of Billy Bean” and “More Adventures of Billy Bean”.
In his personal life, Studi was married to Rebecca Graves, with whom he has two children. After their divorce, he married singer Maura Albertson in 1990, and has one child with her. The family resides near Santa Fe, New Mexico.
