Paulina Alexis Explained

Paulina Alexis
Birth Place:Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Reserve, Alberta, Canada
Other Names:Wagiya Cizhan/Young Eagle
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:2020–present
Known For:Reservation Dogs, Bones of Crows, , Beans

Paulina Jewel Alexis (born), also known as Wǎgíyaŋ Čížaŋ or Young Eagle, is a Canadian First Nations actress best known for her role as Willie Jack in Reservation Dogs (2021–2023).[1] She won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series in 2022[2] and in 2023 and 2024 was nominated for the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[3] [4] The series won a Peabody Award.[5]

Alexis was raised on the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation reserve in Alberta. As a child, she played hockey and attended school in Edmonton. At age 18, she landed her first professional film role as a minor character in (2021), and later featured in the 2020 Canadian film Beans. She had her breakout role as the tomboyish girl Willie Jack on Reservation Dogs, a performance which garnered critical attention.

Early life and education

Paulina Jewel Alexis, or Young Eagle, "Wǎgíyaŋ Čížaŋ"[6] in her native Íhârne Stoney Nakoda language, was born in [7] and raised in the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation reserve in Alberta, Canada.[8] Her family tree includes Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 Territories in Canada.

Alexis has discussed starting to play hockey at age 4, regularly practicing during her childhood, and playing left wing as of 2021. She and her mother have also discussed her experiences growing up on the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation reserve, and her experiences at school in Edmonton. Her father has made documentaries through his production company. Alexis has an older brother, Nathan, who played the role of Angus in Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013) as well as two other brothers.[9] During her childhood, Alexis went to many casting calls for commercials and acting roles; her first paid acting role was a driving commercial for which she was paid $100.

Career

Early roles

Alexis landed her first professional acting role at age 18, playing a minor character in .[10] [11] After signing with Nathan's agent, she had a video audition; director Jason Reitman was sufficiently impressed to invite her to a live audition. Alexis' next role was as April in the award-winning Canadian film Beans (2020), a semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Tracey Deer (Mohawk) about the Oka Crisis at Kanesatake, Quebec.[12] Alexis has said that being on the set of Beans was incredibly fun, Deer allowed her to improvise some of her lines, and she met her future Reservation Dogs co-star D'Pharaoh Woon-a-tai.[13]

Reservation Dogs

Alexis originally auditioned for the role of Elora, a female lead in Reservation Dogs, but Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs was chosen to play her. The showrunners asked Alexis to read for Willie Jack, who was originally a male character. The character was revised to be female when Alexis was cast.[14] Alexis described developing her vision of Willie Jack for the audition process: "I just created Willie Jack how I think she would be, with her braids, she's always loud, with her bros, she loves hard, and just did it like that."[15]

After Alexis was given the role, she was encouraged by the show producers to improvise lines for her character and helped develop the wardrobe.[16] [17] Alexis sometimes consulted with her brother on the development of lines for Willie Jack. In an interview with W, Alexis said, "I've grown up with a lot of strong people, so I wanted to represent that - to show that we do have hearts and we care about our people a lot. Showing that - and getting our humor, because we’re funny - was the mission."

According to Sophie Brookover at Vulture, over the course of the show, Willie Jack "emerged as the heart, conscience, and memory keeper of the group." Jenelle Riley writes for Variety, "It’s cliché to talk about young actors being older than their years, but Alexis delivers wisecracks with the timing of an old pro - her one-liners are as memorable as her hats."[18]

Bones of Crows

Alexis is also featured as the character Immpy in the film Bones of Crows (2022), an inter-generational tale about a family of Indigenous women, who are living with the traumas inflicted by genocidal Indian residential schools.[19]

Wheetago War

Alexis is voice acting in an upcoming Indigenous claymation short film titled Wheetago War, a stop motion animation interpretation of the original story by Richard Van Camp (Tłı̨chǫ Dene), adapted from his short story "The Wheetago", and presented by Spotted Fawn Productions. Wheetago are supernatural beings from Indigenous lore, and the name Wheetago translates to "body eater" in the Dene language, which the producers of Wheetago War say "have existed across indigenous cultures to teach us about greed".[20] The producers of Wheetago War confirmed in early 2023 that Alexis was cast as the gender-switching character Young Dove.[21]

Personal life

Alexis plays hockey, rides horses, and participates in horse relay races. Alexis has said that she thinks that being around horses benefits mental health.[22] She announced her pregnancy through Instagram on August 18, 2024.[23]

Filmography

Film

Year! scope = "col"
TitleRoleDirector Notes
2020BeansAprilTracey Deer
2021BunnyJason ReitmanFilmed in 2019
2022Bones of CrowsImmpyMarie Clements
Wheetago WarYoung DoveShort film; voice acting

Television

Year! scope = "col"
TitleRoleNotes
2021–2023Reservation DogsWillie JackMain role

Awards and nominations

! Year ! Award ! Category! Work! Result
2022Independent Spirit AwardsBest Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series (Shared with the cast)Reservation Dogs
Pena de PrataBest Ensemble in a Comedy Series (Shared with the cast)
2023Critics' Choice Television AwardsBest Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
2024Critics' Choice Television Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Allaire . Christian . 2022-03-14 . Paulina Alexis's Critics Choice Awards Look Was a Display of Indigenous Pride . 2023-07-27 . Vogue . en-US . July 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230727151424/https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/paulina-alexis-critics-choice-awards . live .
  2. Web site: History . 2023-07-27 . Film Independent . en-US . April 20, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230420155952/https://www.filmindependent.org/spirit-awards/history/ . live .
  3. Web site: Panaligan . E. J. . Earl . William . 2023-01-16 . Critics' Choice Awards 2023 Full Winners List: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Better Call Saul' Take Top Honors . 2023-07-27 . Variety . en-US . January 16, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230116000355/https://variety.com/2023/awards/news/critics-choice-awards-2023-winners-list-1235488828/ . live .
  4. Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Bear lead 2024 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list . Brathwaite . Lester Fabian . . January 14, 2024 . January 15, 2024 . May 17, 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240517174027/https://ew.com/critics-choice-awards-2024-winners-list-8424908 . live .
  5. Web site: Reservation Dogs . 2023-07-27 . The Peabody Awards . en-US . August 6, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230806021616/https://peabodyawards.com/award-profile/reservation-dogs/ . live .
  6. Web site: Paulina Alexis Bio . FX . FX Networks . 10 September 2023 . September 25, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230925013805/https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/reservation-dogs/cast/paulina-alexis-whillie-jack . live .
  7. News: Knight . Ivy . 2021-10-15 . A Star of 'Reservation Dogs' Breaks Barriers . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-07-27 . July 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230727151424/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/15/style/paulina-alexis-reservation-dogs-ghostbusters.html . live .
  8. Web site: Moya-Smith . Simon . Paulina Alexis Doesn't Care If You Think She's 'Too Rez' The Reservation Dogs star won't let anything — or anyone — get in her way. . The Cut . October 4, 2022 . 9 September 2023 . July 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230727065604/https://www.thecut.com/2022/10/paulina-alexis-reservation-dogs-interview.html . live .
  9. News: Indigenous star seeing impact of TV success. September 10, 2022. C2. Tom. Murray. Edmonton Journal. Newspapers.com. October 14, 2023. June 8, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240608200226/https://www.newspapers.com/article/edmonton-journal-indigenous-star-seeing/133406174/. live.
  10. Web site: Boutsalis . Kelly . Paulina Alexis is Reservation Dogs' breakout star . Maclean's . July 22, 2022 . 8 September 2023 . September 21, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230921103152/https://macleans.ca/culture/paulina-alexis-is-reservation-dogs-breakout-star/ . live .
  11. Web site: Nelson . Kate . Paulina Alexis Saddles Up for Reservation Dogs' Last Ride . Elle . August 2023 . 9 September 2023 . September 26, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230926095619/https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a44695558/paulina-alexis-reservation-dogs-interview/ . live .
  12. Web site: Beans, Blood Quantum Win Big at 4th Night of Canadian Screen Awards . CBC . 2023-09-07 . September 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230908004336/https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/2021-canadian-screen-awards-1.6035352 . live .
  13. Web site: "APTN News - Face to Face: Paulina Alexis says Reservation Dogs is representing Indigenous Peoples in a truthful way" . November 22, 2022 . YouTube . APTN News . 9 September 2023 . September 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230909081444/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8NQD8LiZVM . live .
  14. Paulina Alexis says Reservation Dogs is representing Indigenous Peoples in a truthful way . 22 Nov 2022 . Television production . . Face 2 Face . 04:00–05:17 . September 9, 2023 . September 9, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230909081444/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8NQD8LiZVM . live .
  15. Web site: Brookover . Sophie . Reservation Dogs's Paulina Alexis Found Solace in Willie Jack's Healing Journey . Vulture . August 16, 2023 . New York Vulture . October 14, 2023 . October 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231004185348/https://www.vulture.com/article/paulina-alexis-reservation-dogs-season-3-willie-jack-interview.html . live .
  16. Web site: Simonpillai . Radheyan . Canada's Rising Screen Stars: Paulina Alexis . NOW Toronto . April 6, 2022 . 9 September 2023 . September 17, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230917092458/https://nowtoronto.com/movies/paulina-alexis-gets-back-in-the-saddle-for-reservation-dogs-season-two/ . live .
  17. Web site: Paulina Alexis Isn't Ready to Say Goodbye to Willie Jack . W Magazine . July 31, 2023 . 2023-09-07 . September 8, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230908004342/https://www.wmagazine.com/culture/paulina-alexis-reservation-dogs-willie-jack-season-3-interview . live .
  18. News: Riley . Jenelle . Harold Perrineau, Paulina Alexis and Other Great Performances that Finally Deserve Emmy Recognition . 14 October 2023 . . 16 June 2023. July 27, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230727151424/https://variety.com/2023/awards/actors/harold-perrineau-paulina-alexis-emmy-recognition-1235646221/ . live.
  19. Web site: Bones of Crows . TIFF . 17 September 2023 . October 4, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20231004094904/https://tiff.net/events/bones-of-crows . live .
  20. Web site: Wheetago War . Spotted Fawn Productions . 17 September 2023 . September 18, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230918064118/https://fcp.nux.mybluehost.me/wheetago-war/ . live .
  21. Web site: "Wheetego War" . Instagram . Spotted Fawn Productions . 17 September 2023.
  22. Web site: Barbour . Shannon . 'Reservation Dogs' Actor Paulina Alexis Talks the Healing Power of Horses . Wonder Mind . August 2, 2023 . 10 September 2023 . September 17, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230917092500/https://www.wondermind.com/article/paulina-alexis/ . live .
  23. Web site: Alexis . Paulina . 2024-08-18 . tiny bestie loading.. . 2024-08-18 . Instagram.

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