Billy Merasty

Billy Merasty

  • Birthday: 1960-01-01
  • Place of birth: Brochet, Manitoba, Canada

Biography

Billy Merasty is an actor, playwright, Cree translator, and language keeper. He was born to Viola and Pierre Merasty in 1960 in Brochet, Manitoba. His grandfather was Joe Highway, a famous caribou hunter and champion dogsled racer. He moved to Toronto at age eighteen in search for his uncle René Highway, who was at the time working for the Toronto Dance Theatre. At age twenty-three Billy launched his acting career after graduating from the Native Theatre School for aspiring Indigenous artists. He then went on to work for the renowned Indigenous performing arts company Native Earth Performing Arts. Billy has worked as a film, television, and stage actor for decades and notably played the first Indigenous gay character on television on the CBC series, Liberty Street, in the role of Nathan. Billy received the Order of Manitoba (Order of the Buffalo Hunt) in recognition for his many years as an Indigenous role model in 2010.

Filmography

The Shaman's Source

1990

As Mathew Hare

Elijah

2008

As Elijah Harper

X-Rated

1994

As Nathan Jones

Pocahontas: The Legend

1995

As Kocoum

Honey Moccasin

1998

As Zachary John

Snake Treaty

1989

As

The Broken Cord

1992

As Frank Cree

Northern Lights

2009

As Jacob

The Big White

2005

As Cam

Stellar

2022

As Auntie 1

Exotica

1994

As Man at opera

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

2007

As Young Man Afraid

The Confessional

1995

As Moose

Battle of the Brave

2004

As Owashak

The New World

2005

As Kiskiak

It Chapter Two

2019

As Shokopiwah Man

keyboard_arrow_up