May 22, 2025 • 9 mins
I talk with the actor about everything from being a kid in "Dances with Wolves" to portraying the Lakota legend in next week's History Channel documentary.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Scott Vordiez next week on History Channel. It's a tonight
event on Tuesday and Wednesday night, eight o'clock Central. And
the subject of this incredible History Channel documentary is Sitting Bowl.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Sitting Bowl represents resistance.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
He never stopped being Lakota.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Sitting bulls was not able to accept any alternative other
than complete freedom.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Sitting Bowl documentary event premieres Tuesday, May twenty seven to nine,
part of History Honors two fifteen only on the History Channel. Yeah,
it's going to be an exciting bit of history as
well as images from the life of the Lakota legend.
We welcome on here actor Michael Spears, who is playing
Sitting Bowl. And Michael, it's great to have you here
(00:51):
back in the Midwest. I know you're a South Dakota native. Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey, yes, I am, Thanks for having me today.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Absolutely, what is it? I mean? I would think that
growing up Lakota and then playing Sitting Bowl, there's an
awful lot of pressure involved, there isn't there?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, you know, in learning that I got the role
and who he is. You know, it is a tremendous pressure,
but also, you know, a very honorable pressure. You know,
He's a single recognized Lakota chief. Our political system doesn't
(01:31):
usually work that way, and he is one of our
single most recognized chiefs in history. And given the opportunity
to play him was just very humbling.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
There's so much we can learn about Sitting Bowl in
this two night documentary series on History Channel next week.
I mean, he's so much more than Custer's last stand.
I mean, I I guess I didn't realize that before
the federal government had obviously a major issue with Sitting Bowl.
(02:06):
He was with the Buffalo Bill Wild West show here
in Nebraska out there in North Platte as a performer.
What did you learn about Sitting Bull being a part
of this special you.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Know, growing up Lakota and you know, we grew up
with some with a lot of these stories, and and uh,
you know, I I don't like to really compare my
life to his, but I took some solace in that that,
you know, hey, he he's a he was in the
kind of in the world of of acting and performance
(02:39):
and stuff like that, and so I was like, you know,
that's kind of what what I'm doing. And you know,
I learned more of the nuance that was and is
sitting bul You know, he wasn't, like you said, just
a ward leader or a ward chief. You know, he
truly embodied what it means to be Lakota, and you're
(03:01):
going to get a chance to see his worldview that
informed his decisions.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
This special is executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. How hands
on was he in wanting to present this story?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
You know, here hearing and knowing that he was a
part of the project from the get go, I just,
you know, obviously throws in an energy that that is
for me, respected and loved. You know, I really love
his work and the power that his names bring, his
(03:40):
name brings to the show. He unfortunately we didn't he
didn't work on location with us, but has been a
supporter on an off screen, through social media, through all
of the media outlets that he participates in. And it's
just a tremendous honor to be able to work alongside
someone like him.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
We're talking here with actor Michael Spears on news radio
eleven ten KFAB. He is sitting Bowl in the two
night documentary series on History Channel next Tuesday and Wednesday.
But Michael's been involved in so much that you've seen
in movies and TV, including Reservation Dogs on Hulu, one
of lucy My favorite or one of Lucy my co
(04:25):
host here on eleven ten Kfab one of her one
of her favorite shows, Longmire. He was on that show
as well. But you've also spent an entire life kind
of around Kevin Costner from your debut as an actor
as a kid and Dances with Wolves, and then you've
been in some of the Yellowstone spin offs of nineteen
(04:46):
twenty three as well as eighteen eighty three. What's it
like kind of spending a lifetime with and around the
specter of Kevin Costner?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Michael, Well, you know, Kevin helped me tremendously on the
set of Dances with Wolves with my acting. That was
my first project, and he was very comforting, very very helpful,
very he helped me to, I guess, come into my
own and as an actor, you know, not receiving any
formal training or anything. You know, he was he was
(05:19):
a big help. Helped me to not be not be
so scared of everything. Now, you know, kind of coming
I won't say full circle, but you know around once
again to be able to share the screen and share
some time and the Hollywood light with him. You know,
(05:40):
it's always comforting. It's I was to think about, you know,
where I started and where I am today.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Were you a little bit spoiled being on Dances with
Wolves as a kid he were like eleven or twelve
years old, and just thought like, oh, this is easy.
Every movie I'll ever do my entire life will be
an Academy Award winning, you know, as being.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
It did so well and you know, won so many
accolades and awards and and uh, you know, each project
is a labor of Each project has its own you know,
its own light and energy. But yeah, I I uh,
I think back to my first experience and and I
(06:23):
I hope, you know, you always hope that something you
work on is is gonna is gonna win and and
and do well and be viewed in a positive way.
And uh, I wasn't really you know, being so young,
I wasn't really aware too much of of you know,
(06:44):
the Academy Awards and and and all this stuff. You know,
I was. I lived on the reservation, and and uh,
you know, the even my audition process was was pretty
hands off as far as the rest of the production went. Uh,
you know, I wrote an old nag around a barrel
and a couple of weeks later we were filming Dances
(07:06):
and I had some help with the language back then,
and it's, uh, that's kind of come come full circle here.
We spoke Lakota, all la Quota and Dances with Wolves,
and that was the first show of its kind to
do that. And now in Sitting Bowl we speak all
in La Kotah, the reenactors and the cast and everything
(07:28):
with uh, the Lakota and da Quota. So I, you
one always hopes you're gonna you're gonna win and do
well in every project, but you know, I guess I
I'm so happy that it did win everything and when
it won a lot of things, and and uh, I
hear taal. We surpassed Gone with the Wind for number
(07:50):
one movie worldwide.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Of all time, and it still holds up. It's an
incredible film, Dances with Wolves. I know you get asked
a lot about it. I know Lucy wants I ask
you about Longmire.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
No, actually, well sort of, it's kind of about Longmire. Hi,
it's Lucy Chapman. And you know, Michael, I was listening
to what you had to say about the different movies
and the different shows that you have done. You've done
stuff about Native Americans set in eighteen twenty three, and
I know your brother Eddie did he had an almost
tragic character in Hell on Wheels, And now you've done
(08:23):
some modern day, present day stuff. How do you feel
that the Native American is portrayed differently or do you
find that it's portrayed differently whether it's an old or
a set in the past or set in the present.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Well, I just wrapping up here. I'm thankful that you know,
we're in a world where we get to have so
much confultation with Native historians and consultants that type casting
wasn't a problem for me on this un sitting boat.
But I'm glad that we're getting a chance and a
shot to play ourselves and continue to tell our own
(09:04):
stories now as in the past and historically we haven't
been able to do that.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
We'll look forward to seeing it next week. Michael, thank
you so much for the time today.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Thank you for your time as well. Absolutely you guys
appreciate it. Scott for these mornings nine to eleven our
news radio eleven to KFAB
Scott Vordiez next week on History Channel. It's a tonight
event on Tuesday and Wednesday night, eight o'clock Central. And
the subject of this incredible History Channel documentary is Sitting Bowl.
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Sitting Bowl represents resistance.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
He never stopped being Lakota.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Sitting bulls was not able to accept any alternative other
than complete freedom.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Sitting Bowl documentary event premieres Tuesday, May twenty seven to nine,
part of History Honors two fifteen only on the History Channel. Yeah,
it's going to be an exciting bit of history as
well as images from the life of the Lakota legend.
We welcome on here actor Michael Spears, who is playing
Sitting Bowl. And Michael, it's great to have you here
(00:51):
back in the Midwest. I know you're a South Dakota native. Welcome.
Speaker 3 (00:55):
Hey, yes, I am, Thanks for having me today.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Absolutely, what is it? I mean? I would think that
growing up Lakota and then playing Sitting Bowl, there's an
awful lot of pressure involved, there isn't there?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
Yeah, you know, in learning that I got the role
and who he is. You know, it is a tremendous pressure,
but also, you know, a very honorable pressure. You know,
He's a single recognized Lakota chief. Our political system doesn't
(01:31):
usually work that way, and he is one of our
single most recognized chiefs in history. And given the opportunity
to play him was just very humbling.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
There's so much we can learn about Sitting Bowl in
this two night documentary series on History Channel next week.
I mean, he's so much more than Custer's last stand.
I mean, I I guess I didn't realize that before
the federal government had obviously a major issue with Sitting Bowl.
(02:06):
He was with the Buffalo Bill Wild West show here
in Nebraska out there in North Platte as a performer.
What did you learn about Sitting Bull being a part
of this special you.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
Know, growing up Lakota and you know, we grew up
with some with a lot of these stories, and and uh,
you know, I I don't like to really compare my
life to his, but I took some solace in that that,
you know, hey, he he's a he was in the
kind of in the world of of acting and performance
(02:39):
and stuff like that, and so I was like, you know,
that's kind of what what I'm doing. And you know,
I learned more of the nuance that was and is
sitting bul You know, he wasn't, like you said, just
a ward leader or a ward chief. You know, he
truly embodied what it means to be Lakota, and you're
(03:01):
going to get a chance to see his worldview that
informed his decisions.
Speaker 1 (03:07):
This special is executive produced by Leonardo DiCaprio. How hands
on was he in wanting to present this story?
Speaker 3 (03:17):
You know, here hearing and knowing that he was a
part of the project from the get go, I just,
you know, obviously throws in an energy that that is
for me, respected and loved. You know, I really love
his work and the power that his names bring, his
(03:40):
name brings to the show. He unfortunately we didn't he
didn't work on location with us, but has been a
supporter on an off screen, through social media, through all
of the media outlets that he participates in. And it's
just a tremendous honor to be able to work alongside
someone like him.
Speaker 1 (04:01):
We're talking here with actor Michael Spears on news radio
eleven ten KFAB. He is sitting Bowl in the two
night documentary series on History Channel next Tuesday and Wednesday.
But Michael's been involved in so much that you've seen
in movies and TV, including Reservation Dogs on Hulu, one
of lucy My favorite or one of Lucy my co
(04:25):
host here on eleven ten Kfab one of her one
of her favorite shows, Longmire. He was on that show
as well. But you've also spent an entire life kind
of around Kevin Costner from your debut as an actor
as a kid and Dances with Wolves, and then you've
been in some of the Yellowstone spin offs of nineteen
(04:46):
twenty three as well as eighteen eighty three. What's it
like kind of spending a lifetime with and around the
specter of Kevin Costner?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Michael, Well, you know, Kevin helped me tremendously on the
set of Dances with Wolves with my acting. That was
my first project, and he was very comforting, very very helpful,
very he helped me to, I guess, come into my
own and as an actor, you know, not receiving any
formal training or anything. You know, he was he was
(05:19):
a big help. Helped me to not be not be
so scared of everything. Now, you know, kind of coming
I won't say full circle, but you know around once
again to be able to share the screen and share
some time and the Hollywood light with him. You know,
(05:40):
it's always comforting. It's I was to think about, you know,
where I started and where I am today.
Speaker 1 (05:47):
Were you a little bit spoiled being on Dances with
Wolves as a kid he were like eleven or twelve
years old, and just thought like, oh, this is easy.
Every movie I'll ever do my entire life will be
an Academy Award winning, you know, as being.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
It did so well and you know, won so many
accolades and awards and and uh, you know, each project
is a labor of Each project has its own you know,
its own light and energy. But yeah, I I uh,
I think back to my first experience and and I
(06:23):
I hope, you know, you always hope that something you
work on is is gonna is gonna win and and
and do well and be viewed in a positive way.
And uh, I wasn't really you know, being so young,
I wasn't really aware too much of of you know,
(06:44):
the Academy Awards and and and all this stuff. You know,
I was. I lived on the reservation, and and uh,
you know, the even my audition process was was pretty
hands off as far as the rest of the production went. Uh,
you know, I wrote an old nag around a barrel
and a couple of weeks later we were filming Dances
(07:06):
and I had some help with the language back then,
and it's, uh, that's kind of come come full circle here.
We spoke Lakota, all la Quota and Dances with Wolves,
and that was the first show of its kind to
do that. And now in Sitting Bowl we speak all
in La Kotah, the reenactors and the cast and everything
(07:28):
with uh, the Lakota and da Quota. So I, you
one always hopes you're gonna you're gonna win and do
well in every project, but you know, I guess I
I'm so happy that it did win everything and when
it won a lot of things, and and uh, I
hear taal. We surpassed Gone with the Wind for number
(07:50):
one movie worldwide.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
Of all time, and it still holds up. It's an
incredible film, Dances with Wolves. I know you get asked
a lot about it. I know Lucy wants I ask
you about Longmire.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
No, actually, well sort of, it's kind of about Longmire. Hi,
it's Lucy Chapman. And you know, Michael, I was listening
to what you had to say about the different movies
and the different shows that you have done. You've done
stuff about Native Americans set in eighteen twenty three, and
I know your brother Eddie did he had an almost
tragic character in Hell on Wheels, And now you've done
(08:23):
some modern day, present day stuff. How do you feel
that the Native American is portrayed differently or do you
find that it's portrayed differently whether it's an old or
a set in the past or set in the present.
Speaker 3 (08:39):
Well, I just wrapping up here. I'm thankful that you know,
we're in a world where we get to have so
much confultation with Native historians and consultants that type casting
wasn't a problem for me on this un sitting boat.
But I'm glad that we're getting a chance and a
shot to play ourselves and continue to tell our own
(09:04):
stories now as in the past and historically we haven't
been able to do that.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
We'll look forward to seeing it next week. Michael, thank
you so much for the time today.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
Thank you for your time as well. Absolutely you guys
appreciate it. Scott for these mornings nine to eleven our
news radio eleven to KFAB
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