Adam Beach is a Canadian actor who was born on November 11, 1972 in Ashern, Manitoba, and is of Salteaux heritage. He grew up on the Dog Creek Indian Reserve, and studied at Gordon Bell High School. When he was eight years old, his mother was killed in an accident caused by drunk driving. Not long after that, his father also died in a boating accident. While in high school, he attended a drama class and exhibited his natural talents in acting. He soon found himself performing in local theater productions, eventually dropping out of school to take on a lead role at Manitoba Theatre for Young People. When he was 18, he won a role on the miniseries Lost in the Barrens, based on a novel by Farley Mowat.
It didn’t take long until Adam Beach made numerous appearances on television. He became a guest star on Walker, Texas Ranger and Touched by an Angel, soon earning a regular status on shows like North of 60 and The Rez. Beach gained international attention for his performance in 1995’s Dance Me Outside, followed by Smoke Signals as Victor Joseph. In 1999, he took on a role on Disney’s Mystery, Alaska, and was cast in the thriller The Last Stop. He demonstrated his extensive range of acting skills, taking on comedic roles in The Art of Woo and 2001’s Joe Dirt. The next year, he played the character Private Ben Yahzee in Windtalkers, even learning the Navajo language to prepare for his role. Beach soon got involved in series like JAG and Third Watch, as well as making guest appearances on The Dead Zone as a shaman. He has also worked with Clint Eastwood on the film Flags of our Fathers, portraying the character Ira Hayes. While filming, Beach’s grandmother and best friend died, allowing him to release his emotion onto the project. This led him to be nominated for several Best Supporting Actor honors. He soon joined the cast of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Detective Chester Lake, towards the end of the series’ eighth season. Beach is also known for his role in the Canadian series Moose TV, as well as executive producing and starring in the independent feature Older Than America.
(Photo courtesy of NBC)