Michael Horse

Michael Horse is a character actor whose roles have frequently emphasized his Native American heritage. Straight out of the gate, in his first screen role, Horse was cast as Tonto in "The Legend of the Lone Ranger," the 1981 western film version of the legendary radio and TV program that was not at all well-received, despite appearances by respected actors like Jason Robards and Christopher Lloyd (The film even earned a few Razzie Awards). Horse's roles through the decade, mainly playing Indians, did not fare much better, though they weren't nearly as visible as "The Lone Ranger" film. In 1990, however, Horse landed a recurring role on David Lynch's brief but culturally pervasive crime mystery, "Twin Peaks," playing Deputy Tommy "Hawk" Hill, appearing in 28 episodes over the series' two seasons. Horse's scenes were cut from the 1992 film prequel, "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me," but that same year, he earned a supporting part in the successful Wesley Snipes airplane crime thriller, "Passenger 57," playing the curiously-named Forget. In 2002, Horse provided the voice of Little Creek's Friend for the Dreamworks animated movie "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron," but otherwise, his film projects have been marginal. On television, he has found numerous recurring roles, most substantially as Andrew One Sky on the drama "North of 60" (from 1995 to 1997) and as Mike Proudfoot on the comedy "Sons of Tuscon" in 2010. Horse is also an artist, who specializes in Native American themed paintings and jewelry.