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Martin Sensmeier
Sensmeier at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival
Born	(1985-06-27) June 27, 1985 (age 39) Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Actor, Model
Years active	2012–present
Partner	Kahara Hodges (2016–present)
Children	2

Martin Sensmeier (born June 27, 1985) is an American actor and model.

Of Alaska Native and European American descent, he is known for playing various Native American roles. He starred in the 2016 remake The Magnificent Seven and had a recurring role as "Wanahton" in the HBO television series Westworld (2018). More recently, he has played a physical therapist in the TV series Yellowstone and a Comanche warrior named Sam in the prequel 1883, both directed by Taylor Sheridan.

Early life

Sensmeier was born in 1985 in Anchorage, Alaska, to Raymond and Eva Sensmeier, but was raised in Yakutat. His father is of German and Tlingit heritage, while his mother is Koyukon Athabascan from Ruby, Alaska, on the Yukon River. Sensmeier identifies with the cultures of his Alaska Native grandmothers, which his parents stressed. Martin’s paternal grandfather, Gilbert Michael Sensmeier, was born in Indiana of German descent. He is a citizen of the Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska (Tlingit & Haida).

Career

Sensmeier began his working career as a welder, then worked on an oil rig for Doyon Drilling. He quit to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles. There and in New York, Sensmeier worked as a professional model; he gradually found work as an actor in Los Angeles.

His first feature film was the sci-fi thriller Beyond the Sky. He appeared in a leading role, as one of the "seven", in the 2016 feature film The Magnificent Seven, a remake of an earlier version.

In 2017, Sensmeier was cast in the lead role in the biopic The Chickasaw Rancher, portraying Montford Johnson (Chickasaw), a man who built a ranching empire near the Chisholm Trail. That year he also had a role as Chip Hanson in the film Wind River, and will reprise the role in the upcoming sequel Wind River: The Next Chapter.

Sensmeier joined the cast in the second (2018) season of the HBO television series Westworld, in the recurring role of Wanahton.

In 2020, he took on the role of Chief Eddy in the original English version of the video game Tell Me Why from Dontnod Entertainment. The game is set in Alaska and the character belongs to the indigenous Tlingit people, as does Sensmeier.

More recently, he has played a physical therapist in Season 2 of Taylor Sheridan's Yellowstone, the four-season saga of the Dutton family and their patriarch's determination to keep the ranch intact, and the character of Sam, a Comanche warrior, in 1883, Sheridan's prequel to Yellowstone. 1883 centers on a group of covered-wagon settlers seeking a new life in Oregon after banding together in Texas. It stars Sam Elliot, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill & newcomer Isabel May as Elsa Dutton, the series narrator and love interest of Sam's.

In 2023, Sensmeier starred in the western thriller Cottonmouth (film), which is set for release in 2024.

Personal life

Sensmeier is a member of the Native Wellness Institute, a youth advocacy group. He is proud of his Alaska Native heritage.

Sensmeier and partner Kahara Hodges have two children, born 2020 and 2022.

Filmography

References

1. ^ Patil, Tulsi (September 23, 2016). "How Alaskan actor Martin Sensmeier became one of 'The Magnificent Seven'". KTUU.
2. @sensmeier (June 28, 2015). "Birthday Selfie. 6/27/15 #Grind" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
3. ^ Schreffler, Laura (August 25, 2016). "The Magnificent Seven Star Martin Sensmeier's Haute Secrets to LA". Haute Living.
4. "4 years later.... Look at what our Love grew! 💗✨🌱🐺👶🏽🐺Happy Anniversary My Love @martinsensmeier ✨ I am so grateful for our beautiful family, our life with our beautiful Son, our companionship ❤️Thank you for making life so sweet.... Cheers to our forever smiles n good times! I love you baby 😘❤️ I pray with gratitude to the Creator for our divine alignment ✨🙏🏽💞". instagram.com.
5. "From Yakutat to Hollywood". Alaska Dispatch News.
6. "Tlingit & Haida Tribal News" (PDF). Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
7. Dunham, Mike (October 22, 2013). "Model Martin Sensmeier Hearts Moose. Plus: Moose Heart". Indian Country Today Media Network. ICTMN Staff. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
8. Dunham, Mike (September 24, 2016). "From Yakutat to Hollywood". Alaska Dispatch News. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
9. N'Duka, Amanda (May 30, 2017). "Martin Sensmeier To Star In 'The Chickasaw Rancher'; Lydia Hearst Joins Indie Film '50K'". Deadline. Retrieved June 17, 2017.
10. Vlessing, Etan (November 9, 2022). "'Falcon and the Winter Soldier' Director Kari Skogland to Helm 'Wind River' Sequel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
11. Andreas Wiseman (September 28, 2023). "Martin Sensmeier, Ron Perlman, Esai Morales & Eric Nelsen Lead Western 'Cottonmouth'; Filming Underway In Oklahoma". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
12. "Native American models: much more than pretty faces". Traditional Native Healing. March 22, 2015. Archived from the original on March 5, 2021. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
13. "Instagram".
14. "MOTHER NURTURE ❤️🌱 Liquid Gold for my Sonshine 🌞Story Time: At 35 weeks pregnant my partner & I decided to change our birth plan and find a midwife to deliver baby at home vs in the hospital. A family member connected us with @cwi505 President & Midwife Marinah Farrell.... who is absolutely phenomenal💗 It wasn't until we had a sunrise ceremony that baby decided to join us the next day with his own Birth Ceremony. My mother and sister were my birth team, and my hunny caught our son as he entered through my portal ❤️💫🌎 I am so grateful for the never ending support of my mama @petrabreyes , sister @zogirlll , and Love @martinsensmeier ❤️ To be in such a sacred space that we created allowed me to decolonize & reclaim my body in the most divine ways ✨ This is my birth story in a nutshell haha! Homebirth was an experience that I NEVER considered or even really knew about until 4ish years ago when I met my Fryberg Family @rosellekiona @muyalica @tenikafryberg and throughout the years they have shared knowledge & stories of birth experience that transformed my mindset & allowed me to create a beautiful experience for myself & my family ❤️ Now that shíyazhí is here, we nourish each other with tender moments like this.... our sacred bond ❤️ latched in my arms ❤️ #strongresilientlatched Everything from birth to breastfeeding has been extremely natural for me while still having its challenges. We were blessed to have Kim Salas, an Indigenous Lactation Consultant, guide me through getting a good latch & nursing positions ❤️ There was so much that I had yet to learn about breastfeeding & there is still so much more to learn ✨ To provide for my son & watch him sprout into the most beautiful being is a gift given by Diyin Dine'é (the Holy Ones)🌱✨ ✖️✖️✖️✖️August is National Breastfeeding Month & Starting the second Sunday it is Native Breastfeeding week! ✨ Ahéhee for taking to time to read & allow me to share part of myself & my journey as I transition into Motherhood ❤️ #birthofamama #milkymama #worldbreastfeedingweek #breastfeedingmonth #reclaimyourpower #indigenamami #mothernurture". instagram.com.
15. "🐚💖🌱 spring blossom 🌱💖🐚". instagram.com.
16. "Fun times with the Kings of my Heart 🌹❣️✨🎡🌊🍦🥰". instagram.com.
17. Major, Michael (September 6, 2022). "Serayah Joins Quavo & Billy Zane in Cast of Action Thriller TAKEOVER". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved August 28, 2023.
18. "What's Shooting in Alberta". ACTRA. Archived from the original on March 10, 2023. Retrieved August 28, 2023.

External links

• Martin Sensmeier at IMDb 

• 1985 births
• Living people
• 21st-century Native Americans
• American people of Koyukon descent
• Male actors from Anchorage, Alaska
• Native American male actors
• Tlingit people
• American people of German descent
• Male models from Alaska
• Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes people