Exclusive Interview with Chaske Spencer on 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'

Exclusive Interview with Chaske Spencer on 'The Twilight Saga: Eclipse'



June 12, 2010 - Chaske Spencer stars as the head of the wolf pack, Sam Uley, in The Twilight Saga. Spencer's played the role in both New Moon and Eclipse, and will be reprising it for the final two films of the series: Breaking Dawn, broken up into parts one and two.

Spencer's well-spoken and passionate about both his acting career and about his involvement in helping out people who are less fortunate. To quote from Spider-Man "with great power comes great responsibility," and Spencer's using the power afforded him by being a part of the Twilight franchise to help Native Americans. In our exclusive interview at the LA press day for the third Twilight film, Spencer talked about his background and how that plays an integral role in what he does both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

Chaske Spencer Eclipse Interview
I was really moved by how touched Julia Jones was during the press conference when she talked about the impact being a part of the Twilight Saga has had on her. How has being a part of something this huge affected you?

Chaske Spencer: "How has it impacted me? The positive side is that there is more of a spotlight so I can bring subjects that I care about into an awareness. I always knew in the back of my mind when this started taking off that I was going to do that. I grew up on three different reservations that were very poverty-stricken. I was very fortunate to get out. So, for me, and I can do it for promoting movies, but it has always been uncomfortable - especially with New Moon and everything coming out - I felt uneasy about it."

Why did you feel uneasy?

Chaske Spencer: "It’s just not normal. It’s not normal. It's something that I just don’t find very comfortable doing, but it's part of the job and I accept that. So I thought I could use it to help people. It’s a platform so I can use that and I can bring things into an awareness, because I’m just an actor. So, for me, what I can do with a really hot franchise is turn the spotlight, so I started thinking about what I could do to help my people out. Instead of going around the world, what about our own back yard? Plus, I’m Native Americans and this is home and where I’m from. I’ve seen a lot of poverty, drug addiction, alcoholism and domestic violence, so for me it’s a way to give back. Plus, it helps keep me balanced. When Julia was talking she got emotional and I was like, 'Oh man...''"

She got choked up.

Chaske Spencer: "Se’s a passionate person and an all-around beautiful person."

Do you go back and visit the rez?

Chaske Spencer: "Oh yeah."

What is their reaction to all of this?

Chaske Spencer: "Oh, it’s huge! I have a lot of family over there. I like to go back because it reminds me of where I have come from and how far I’ve come. It wasn’t too long ago that the reservation was like a third world country."

Really?

Chaske Spencer: "It’s a third world country, a sovereign nation all its own. It’s not too long ago in American history where my people had genocide practiced on them and had our culture taken away and told to be ashamed of ourselves. When people ask, 'Why don’t we just get over it?,' it’s hard because you have generations that were affected by being pulled out of their homes, having their hair cut and thrown into a school system trying to change their ways and assimilate. That affects the generations. You wonder why there’s a lot of alcoholism. Back in the day, in the 1800s, when my people were put off of the reservations, there was abuse and sexual abuse - and it goes on down the line. So you can’t really just get over it; it’s a long process. So what I can do is try to help. How I try to fix this or put my two cents in or try to pull my weight is to bring this into awareness. A lot of people don’t know; not too many people know. There are a lot of misconceptions about Natives of the U.S. Some people still think we live in teepees."

Well, a lot of that is Hollywood's doing, right?

Chaske Spencer: "It’s all Hollywood. It also makes me wonder, as much as we are trying to do the best we can to show ourselves in a different light, it's also up to the media and Hollywood. We can only do so much. It’s up to you guys to really change things and put us in a different light."

"We’ve been out a while and Dances with Wolves came out almost 20 years ago. That was the first time Natives actually played Natives. Before it was like Paul Newman played an Indian, Tony Curtis! That’s what such a big deal about it, and there’s a kid watching going, 'Wow, I can do that.' Eric Schweig in Last of the Mohicans, one of my personal heroes, I love that guy and he’s also a phenomenal actor - and Graham Greene! All these guys have paved the way. And what’s so cool about this franchise is that the kids accept us for who we are. We are not leather and feather. They accept us. Now it’s up to you guys to accept it. Can you guys, can the media do it? Can Hollywood do it? We have a President of color for the first time, so change is happening. It’s up to people in the industry media – can they accept this? Can they do this? Because we are doing our best and that’s all we can do. We are all trained actors and we’re good. I don’t mean to sound all cocky, but we’re really good. It’s up to people in the studio system to actually start accepting who we are and that we can do other jobs."

Exactly, and jobs outside of playing Native Americans. How important is that also?

Chaske Spencer: "It’s very important. We have a movie called The Block and it's not designed for a Native, and we are producing it through Urban Dreams production company we have. It’s not designed for a Native; I just played the guy in the lead role. That’s like a gift right there. There are other projects I really want to do to. This is only going to last a few years, this whole thing, and it’s going to be gone so we are trying to get as much as we can out of it. Plus, being a Native actor working so long I have to be better than the next guy. I have to be harder, faster and stronger – more skilled at getting my lines down and being the best actor that I can."

Do you feel that weight on your shoulders when you tackle jobs?

Chaske Spencer: "It's not a weight. For me, it's an adrenaline rush and I really like doing it. I love bringing my A game. I love doing that and I’ve trained myself enough to where it doesn’t take long for me."

Isn’t it strange that it’s a vampire franchise aimed at teens that’s getting the message across, that it takes something like Twilight to do that?

Chaske Spencer: "Yes, it takes something like this. That’s the cool thing too, it’s for teens. These kids are a 'get it done' [generation]. They get things done more than my generation did. They adapt well. They are into technology and they get things done. That’s what’s really cool. It’s changing. It is changing with these kids, and we are very fortunate. I don’t know that we could have done this in the '90s and '80s, but now it’s a whole new philosophy out there with these kids."

Do you see more Native American actors coming up after you now?

Chaske Spencer: "I hope so. I hope so. Gil Birmingham - a great actor who’s been around forever - he can do a scene and tear it to pieces and kick ass at it. Now he’s getting his due. The thing is I’d love to have him in a film that I produce to show his talent because he’s good. No one knows how good he is. Through this he’s gotten other films and stuff, so you can see his other films coming out besides the Twilight franchise to see some of his versatility."

So getting into producing, was that something you were always going to do or was it something that Twilight specifically opened up for you?

Chaske Spencer: "Twilight has opened it up for me, but it’s to be more in control of my career. I come from a place where things aren’t being offered to me. I have to really go after them and find projects and find things. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and eventually I do want to direct."

You were talking about directing during the press conference. I remember you mentioned you'd like to direct a film about Crazy Horse.

Chaske Spencer: "I’ve watched so many movies when I was a kid on the reservation. That’s something I’m really passionate about at some point. To be able to have somewhat control of your career is a good thing."

It’s nice to be in the driver's seat.

Chaske Spencer: "It’s nice, you know, to figure out how to find projects and learn from people, too."

We've talked about everything but your character, Sam Uley, in the film series. He’s kind of tragic and he’s really misunderstood. Is that how you see him?

Chaske Spencer: "Yes, I do. I do. I saw that in the very beginning. I did my research and that’s how I wanted to portray him - someone that’s just in extreme circumstances and someone who has to sacrifice a lot. When it comes to Jacob and Sam, who’s to say maybe Sam just wants to let it go. He’s done, who knows? I do see him as a tragic figure."