Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese’s historical crime thriller based on the Osage Nation murders in 1920s Oklahoma, is one of the most-nominated films of the 2023-2024 awards season. With a star-studded ensemble featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Jesse Plemons, and Brendan Fraser, the adaptation of David Grann’s book has been revered by audiences as a remarkable account of an often-sidelined chapter of American history.
Amidst the star-studded cast of frequent Scorsese collaborators, a lesser-known name has been cited as the film’s greatest strength, and has broken barriers across awards season. Lily Gladstone, an actress who almost left the profession the very same day she was cast as Mollie Burkhart, narrowly missed out on winning the Best Actress Oscar at this year’s Academy Awards, having won the Golden Globe and Screen Actors’ Guild for her lead role in the drama. Gladstone was the first Native American actor to be nominated for these awards, making for a historic season for the film industry.
If anything is clear from Gladstone’s remarkable year, it’s that the Oscars is certainly not the last we’ve seen of the star. Here’s what we know about the actor’s life and career, and what’s up next for the acclaimed performer.
Lily Gladstone biography
Lily Gladstone (born 1986) is an Indigenous Montana-born actress who hails from the Piegan Blackfeet and Nimíipuu Nations. While Lily’s mother is white and has no Native ancestry, Gladstone revealed during their Golden Globes acceptance speech that her mother campaigned for the Blackfeet language to be taught in schools she attended, and spoke the language of the Blackfeet Nation during the speech.
Gladstone is distantly related to former British Prime Minister, William Gladstone, as well as Red Crow, a renowned Kainai Nation Chief. The 37-year-old is two-spirit, and uses she/they pronouns.
Lily participated in small regional theater productions as a child and acted in school plays after moving to Seattle, Washington as an adolescent. In one now-viral yearbook photo, Gladstone was voted “most likely to win an Oscar” in the Mountlake Terrace High School class of 2004.
Graduating from the University of Montana, Gladstone holds a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Acting/Directing and a minor in Native American Studies. After graduating, they taught acting in workshops in their Native American communities.
Outside of acting, Lily may be familiar to many film students, as she taught the film production course of the PBS/YouTube web series Crash Course. In the series, Lily passes on their knowledge from both film school and her on-set experiences as an actor on various projects.
What was Lily Gladstone’s breakout role?
Lily rose to acclaim with their third feature, Certain Women, in 2016. Starring alongside Laura Dern, Kristen Stewart, and Michelle Williams in Kelly Reichardt’s adapted drama, Gladstone received stand-out praise and applause for her role as the rancher, Jamie, in the movie.
Gladstone was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for their performance while winning several critics associations’ awards in the Best Supporting Actress category. Certain Women proved to play a pivotal role for Gladstone, as it was the same film that led to her landing on Martin Scorsese’s radar.
What other productions has Lily Gladstone appeared in?
In crucial episodic roles, Gladstone has appeared in Billions, Room 104, and Reservation Dogs. They also played minor roles in films such as First Cow (also directed by Kelly Reichardt) and the survival drama Walking Out. Lily also played the lead role in the mystery-adventure film The Unknown Country in 2022. In 2023, she played Jax in Erica Tremblay’s directorial debut, Fancy Dance, which opened at Sundance Film Festival to a rave response, and is set for a global release later this year.
Having honed their craft in mostly independent films, Killers of the Flower Moon marked Gladstone’s biggest role yet, starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in dual lead roles in the $200 million, Apple Original Films production. Gladstone was recommended for the role after meeting with both Leonardo DiCaprio and the Osage Nation, who were consultants during production.
How a chance email from Martin Scorsese prevented Lily Gladstone from quitting acting
Given the universal acclaim for Gladstone’s performance in Killers of the Flower Moon, it is hard to believe that the actor had nearly retired from the profession before the opportunity found her. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, Lily explained that after a string of professional disappointments in August 2020, she looked for work elsewhere.
“I had my credit card out, registering for a data analytics course,” Gladstone explained – before an email notification from none other than Martin Scorsese popped up, requesting a Zoom call about potentially starring in Scorsese’s adaptation of the nonfiction novel.
Gladstone worked directly with the Osage Nation, who were present in front of and behind the camera during the production of the film, working in supporting actor roles, as well as consultants on Osage language and culture. Many Osage actors played their own descendants, such as Wilson Pipestem, who portrayed his own grandfather, a prominent Osage leader, in the film.
Gladstone, DiCaprio, and Scorsese held various meetings with Osage people to accurately recreate various customs and rituals, as well as ensuring Gladstone could speak the Osage language proficiently. “As the community warmed up to our presence, the more the community got involved with the film,” Gladstone told Variety. “It’s a different movie than the one [Scorsese] walked in to make almost entirely because of what the community had to say about how it was being made and what was being portrayed.”
What’s next for Lily Gladstone after the Oscars?
Gladstone’s Sundance-approved indie drama Fancy Dance, a story of a Native American hustler (played by Gladstone) caring for her niece after her sister’s disappearance, is set for wide release on Apple TV in 2024, at an unspecified date. They are also set to star in the true crime miniseries Under the Bridge, which will release on Hulu in April 2024.
Lily has signed on for a lead role in the Charlie Kaufman-penned drama The Memory Police, said to be in pre-production, as well as the upcoming film Jazzy. The actor has been slated to appear in a biopic of Native American jazz singer Mildred Bailey, although details have yet to be confirmed.
