Tantoo Cardinal
Actress · Since 1981
Known for
Born in Fort McMurray, Alberta in 1950, Tantoo Cardinal is one of the most important Indigenous actors in North American film. She anchored the Cree-language drama Black Robe (1991) and delivered a widely admired performance in Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves (1990). Later work includes Legends of the Fall (1994), Frozen River (2008) and Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women (2016). In 2023 she led the acclaimed feature Fancy Dance opposite Lily Gladstone, cementing her stature as an elder screen presence with unmatched authority.
Tantoo Cardinal
Actress · Since 1981
53 Movies · 41 Series
Born in Fort McMurray, Alberta in 1950, Tantoo Cardinal is one of the most important Indigenous actors in North American film. She anchored the Cree-language drama Black Robe (1991) and delivered a widely admired performance in Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves (1990). Later work includes Legends of the Fall (1994), Frozen River (2008) and Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women (2016). In 2023 she led the acclaimed feature Fancy Dance opposite Lily Gladstone, cementing her stature as an elder screen presence with unmatched authority.
Movies
Plays Iphigenia (voice)
Wildwood
2026
Plays Lizzie Q
Killers of the Flower Moon
2023
Plays Black Shawl
Dances with Wolves
1990
Plays Alice Crowheart
Wind River
2017
Plays Pet
Legends of the Fall
1994
Plays Ms. Hunter (voice)
Wendell & Wild
2022
Plays Illanaq
Hold the Dark
2018
Plays The Pope
ARQ
2016
Plays Lana
Hope Bridge
2015
Plays Gordon’s Sister
Fathers & Sons
2010
Plays Ticup
The Last Manhunt
2022
Plays Indian Woman
Death Hunt
1981
Plays Sonny's Mother
War Party
1988
Plays Tantou, Indian princess
Marie Ann
1978
Plays Chomina's Wife
Black Robe
1991
Plays Grand Chief Katie Blackfire
H2O
2004
Plays Violet Boucher
Heartwood
1998
Plays (voice)
Rez Carz
2014
Plays The Nurse
Eden
2013
Plays Stella Mitchell
Down Here
2014
Plays Nonna
The Education of Little Tree
1997
Plays Auntie Apple
Older Than America
2008
Plays Arlene Joseph
Smoke Signals
1998
Plays Green Thunderbird Woman
Abandoned: Angelique's Isle
2018
Plays Dawn Rainfeather
Sioux City
1994
Plays Janace
The Grizzlies
2019
Plays Gloria Maquinna
Luna: Spirit of the Whale
2007
Plays Mary-Lou
Through Black Spruce
2019
Plays Silent Tongue
Silent Tongue
1994
Plays Tekahera
Maïna
2013
Plays Auntie (voice)
Inkwo for When the Starving Return
2024
Plays Bangor
Where the Rivers Flow North
1993
Plays Singing Bird
The Hi-Line
2000
Plays Annie
Candy Mountain
1988
Plays Heaven Fontaine
A Stranger in the Kingdom
1999
Plays Older Venus
Chasing Shakespeare
2014
Plays Aunt Shadie / Rita
Unnatural & Accidental
2006
Plays Caroline
Running Brave
1983
Plays Rosanne Ladouceur
Loyalties
1987
Plays Ruth
Edge of Madness
2002
Plays Grandmother Ruth
Red Snow
2019
Plays Marilyn St. Claire
Spirit Rider
1993
TV Shows
Plays Sue Lynn Blackbird
Stumptown
2019
Plays Wilma Stoney
Blackstone
2011
Plays Iyovi
Godless
2017
Plays Kamenna
Frontier
2016
Plays Betty Moses
North of 60
1992
Plays Zoe’s Mom
Mohawk Girls
2014
Plays Bea Mayer
Three Pines
2022
Plays Snow Bird
Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman
1993
Plays Chula Battiest
Echo
2024
Plays Principal (voice)
ONI: Thunder God's Tale
2022
Plays Ursula
The Guard
2008
Plays Renee Stonehouse
Street Legal
1987
Plays The Dreamer
See
2019
Plays Marilyn Yarlott
Longmire
2012
Plays Moon (voice)
Spirit Rangers
2022
Plays Iba Beauvais
Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis
2006
Plays (voice)
The American Buffalo
2023
Plays Little Soldier's Wife
The Englishman's Boy
2008
Plays Grand Chief Katie Blackfire
H2O
2004
Plays Old Pawnee Woman
Dreamkeeper
2003
Plays Carol
Shattered
2010
Plays Nookomis
Cardinal
2017
Plays (voice)
The American Revolution
2025
Plays Adawehi
Outlander
2014
Plays Pichette
Strange Empire
2014
Plays Walloha
MythQuest
2001
Plays Maria Brant
The Campbells
1986
Plays Aunt Mary
Arctic Air
2012
Plays Gabe LaRoche’s Mother
Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years
1995
Plays Helen
Harts of the West
1993
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Stories That Made Us with George Stroumboulopoulos
Full Filmography 94
Wildwood
Iphigenia (voice)
2026
Below
Anik · 1 episode
2026–
The American Revolution
(voice) · 2 episodes
2025–
Inkwo for When the Starving Return
Auntie (voice)
2024
An Ode for Leviticus
Luna
2024
Echo
Chula Battiest · 5 episodes
2024–
Killers of the Flower Moon
Lizzie Q
2023
The American Buffalo
(voice) · 2 episodes
2023–
The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib
Marie Chalifoux (voice)
2023Season 2
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Tantoo Cardinal and where are they from?
Tantoo Cardinal is 76 years old, born on July 20, 1950 in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
What are the most famous roles of Tantoo Cardinal?
Tantoo Cardinal is best known for roles in Wind River, Dances with Wolves, Killers of the Flower Moon.
How many movies has Tantoo Cardinal been in?
Over a 48-year career (since 1978), Tantoo Cardinal has appeared in 53 movies and 39 TV shows.
What was Tantoo Cardinal's first movie?
The career of Tantoo Cardinal began with Marie Ann (1978).
What is Tantoo Cardinal's most recent movie or series?
Tantoo Cardinal's most recent release is Stories That Made Us with George Stroumboulopoulos, which premiered on October 30, 2026.
What TV shows has Tantoo Cardinal appeared in?
On television, Tantoo Cardinal has appeared in Westworld, Outlander, See, Penny Dreadful.
Tantoo Cardinal
1950-07-20 · Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Tantoo Cardinal CM is a Native-Canadian actress of Cree and Métis heritage. With over 130 credits in 50 years, she's received numerous awards, including the Earle Grey Award, and in 2009, she was made a member of the Order of Canada "for her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal performing arts in Canada, as a screen and stage actress, and as a founding member of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company." She starred in Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon," and her upcoming projects include the Marvel Series "Echo" and the animated feature "Wendell and Wild." Known for her work in Stumptown and 3 Pines, she has a rich history in films like "Legends of the Fall," "Dances with Wolves," and "Wind River," and TV shows such as "SEE," "Westworld," and "Frontier." Tantoo Cardinal has multiple honorary doctorates.