Irene Bedard (born July 22, 1967) is an American actress, who has played mostly Native American lead roles in a variety of films. She is perhaps best known for the role of Suzy Song in the 1998 film Smoke Signals, an adaptation of a Sherman Alexie collection of short stories, as well as for providing the speaking voice for the titular character in the 1995 animated film Pocahontas. Bedard reprised her role as Pocahontas in the film's direct-to-video follow-up, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) and for a cameo in Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018).
Early life Bedard was born in Anchorage, Alaska, to a Native Alaskan mother of Iñupiaq and Yup’ik descent, and a Canadian father of Cree, and French descent. She is an enrolled citizen of the Native American Village of Koyuk in Alaska.
Career In 1994, Bedard appeared in her first role as Mary Crow Dog in the television production of Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee, which depicted the 1970s standoff between the US government and citizens of several Native nations, including many of the Pine Ridge Reservation, at Wounded Knee, South Dakota. For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. As such, in 1994 she became the first Native American woman to receive an acting award nomination from the Golden Globe Awards.
Bedard is known as the voice of the eponymous heroine in the 1995 Disney animated film Pocahontas, the direct-to-video 1998 sequel Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World and in the 2018 film Ralph Breaks the Internet. She appeared in a different take of the story in Terrence Malick's 2005 film The New World, as Pocahontas's mother, Nonoma Winanuske Matatiske.
In 1995, Bedard was chosen as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People".
In 2001, Irene Bedard hosted the Ninth Annual First Americans in the Arts (FAITA) Awards from the Beverly Hilton Hotel. In 2002, at the Tenth Annual FAITA Awards, Bedard won Outstanding Guest Performance by an Actress in a TV Drama Series for The Agency.
In 2005, she was cast in the television mini-series Into the West as Margaret "Light Shines" Wheeler. Bedard has been very active in environmental groups to protect sacred lands. In 1997, Bedard and Floyd Westerman co-hosted a benefit for the Dine' People of Big Mountain at The Loft Theatre, in Pasadena. In 2015, she appeared in Chloé Zhao's debut feature film, Songs My Brothers Taught Me. In 2016, Bedard announced an agreement with the Catawba Nation of South Carolina to join in a production agreement. In 2017, she appeared as a recurring character in the TV series The Mist. Bedard made an appearance in the music video for Jay-Z's 2017 song "Family Feud", in which she plays a future Madam President of the United States.
In 2020, Bedard played a recurring character in the drama series FBI: Most Wanted. She then was a starring cast member in the Paramount+ miniseries The Stand, as Ray Brentner, a gender-swapped version of Ralph Brentner from the 1994 adaptation.
In 2022, she was cast as Yagoda in the Netflix series Avatar: The Last Airbender and as Sylvie Nanmac in Alaska Daily, the mother of a missing indigenous woman. She also appeared in the film How to Blow Up a Pipeline.
Personal life In 1993, Bedard married musician Denny Wilson, together, they have a son. Between her films, the pair toured for several years with other musicians in a band called "ID," which came from the initials of their first names, Irene and Denny. In 2012, the couple divorced following Bedard's allegations of Wilson abusing her. Wilson, however, denied all these accusations.
Legal issues In 2020, Bedard was arrested twice in three days. The first arrest was for alleged domestic violence, assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and criminal damaging; the second was for alleged disorderly conduct. In August 2022, she was again arrested for disorderly conduct in Xenia, Ohio.
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes1994Squanto: A Warrior's TaleNakooma1995PocahontasPocahontas (voice) A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.1996Navajo BluesAudrey Wyako 1997Song of HiawathaMinnehahaDet store flipOglalaAKA, Wild Flowers 1998Two for TexasSana6/29Laura CooperNaturally NativeTanya LewisSmoke SignalsSuzy SongPocahontas II: Journey to a New WorldPocahontas (voice)Direct-to-video12 BucksBabe1999WildflowersRuby2000PussykatUn-produced 2001Your GuardianKatherine 'Kat' Damon 2003ParisSandyGreasewood FlatAbbeyEdge of AmericaAnnie ShortyTelevision film 2005Planting MelvinBillie LawrenceMiracle at Sage CreekSunnyLove's Long JourneyMiriam Red Hawk McClainTelevision filmThe New WorldPocahontas's Mother (Nonoma) 2007Cosmic RadioK.C.Tortilla HeavenLiberataThe Red ChalkEveShort film2008Turok: Son of StoneCatori (voice)Direct-to-video2011The Tree of LifeMessenger2013VerticalLucy Mills2014Ron and Laura Take Back AmericaMrs. Alma 2015Songs My Brothers Taught MeLisa Winters2017Spreading DarknessMarci Gippolin2018Ralph Breaks the InternetPocahontas (voice)2019The BygoneMrs. Call2022The HarbingerFloating HawkAlso executive producerHow to Blow Up a PipelineJoanna Mending the LineMrs. RedcloudThe RedeemerAponi Nelson2023On Sacred Ground Mary Singing Crow Hey, Viktor!Irene 2024The Heart Stays Aunt Celia 2025The Last Rodeo Agisa Williams
Television Year Title Role Notes1994Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded KneeMary Crow DogTelevision film1995The MarshalMelissa CareyEpisode: "Twoslip" 1996Grand AvenueReyna Television filmCrazy HorseBlack Buffalo WomanAdventures from the Book of VirtuesMorning Light, Sharp Eyes (voice) 2 episodesThe Real Adventures of Jonny QuestAlice Starseer, additional voices2 episodes 1997ProfilerMaddy DuvallEpisode: "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"True WomenTobeTelevision film1998Two for TexasSanaTelevision film 1999Pepper AnnCarol (voice)Episode: "Dances with Ignorance/Girl Power"Blood MoneyNaomi ListerTelevision film1999–2001Roughnecks: Starship Troopers ChroniclesMiriam Redwing (voice)4 episodes2000The Lost ChildGraceTelevision film 2001The Outer LimitsCallie Whitehorse LandauEpisode: "In the Blood"The AgencyDiah SiagianEpisode: "The Year of Living Dangerously"House of MousePocahontas (voice)Episode: "Thanks to Minnie"2004What's New, Scooby-Doo?Cody Long (voice)Episode: "New Mexico, Old Monster" 2005Higglytown HeroesForest Ranger Hero (voice)Episode: "Fran Takes a Hike"Into the WestMargaret Light Shines3 episodes2008–2009The Spectacular Spider-ManJean DeWolff (voice)4 episodes2012Young JusticeShelly Longshadow (voice)Episode: "Beneath"2012–2015LongmireMay Stillwater3 episodes2017The MistKimi Lucero9 episodesScalpedGina Bad Horse Pilot2018Westworld WichapiEpisode: "Kiksuya"2020FBI: Most WantedMary Lou Skye8 episodes2020–2021The StandRay Brentner Television miniseries2022–2023Alaska DailySylvie Nanmac6 episodes 2024Avatar: The Last AirbenderYagoda2 episodesThe Green Veil Glennie Sutton 4 episodes 2025American PrimevalWinter Bird5 episodes
Music video Year Title Artist(s) Role 2017 "Family Feud" Jay-Z featuring Beyoncé Madam President
Video games Year Title Role 1995Animated Storybook: PocahontasPocahontas1996Disney's Pocahontas2021Cookie Run: KingdomPocahontas Cookie2026Disney Dreamlight ValleyPocahontas TBADisney Speedstorm
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Film Result 1995 Golden Globe Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee 1999 Western Heritage Awards Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film Two for Texas 2004 First Americans in the Arts Awards Best Lead Actress in a Feature Film Greasewood Flat 2002 First Americans in the Arts Awards Outstanding Guest Performance by an Actress in a TV Drama Series The Agency 2006 NAMIC Vision Awards Best Dramatic Performance Into the West Western Heritage Awards Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film
References
External links Irene Bedard Biography at who2.com