Abby Connolly
If you’ve been keeping up with this year’s Oscar nominations or have been reading any headlines about the hit movies of 2023, you’ve likely heard of actress Lily Gladstone.
The buzz surrounding Lily Gladstone’s promising acting career is well deserved, as aside from being extremely talented, she’s making history and opening the door for Indigenous American actors.
Lily is best known for her breakout and Oscar-nominated performance in Martin Scorsese’s 2023 film, “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” but here is a little more information about her journey to Hollywood and why it’s so important.
Lily was born in 1986 and grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana. She is of Siksikaitsitapi, also known as Blackfeet, NiMíiPuu, and European heritage. When she was around 11 years old, her family moved to Seattle in search of more opportunities.
As a little girl, Lily enjoyed performing and discovered her passion for acting when she performed as one of Cinderella’s stepsisters in the Missoula Children’s Theatre production of Cinderella. Lily received much support from her parents, who enrolled her in acting and dance classes.
She performed in several theater productions in high school and became involved with her local community theater.
Lily attended UM’s Davidson Honors College and graduated in 2008 with a BFA in acting and a minor in Native American studies.
She was the first Native American student to receive the school’s Presidential Leadership Scholarship, and she quickly earned a reputation around campus as a talented actress with an excellent work ethic, enthusiastically participating and performing in as many student productions as possible.
After college, Lily did a lot of work with the Montana Repertory Theatre, continuing to act and dipping her toe into writing and directing productions.
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