Paulina Alexis
Born1999 or 2000 (age 23–24)
Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation Reserve, Alberta, Canada
Other namesWagiya Cizhan/Young Eagle
OccupationActress
Years active2020–present
Known forReservation Dogs, Bones of Crows, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Beans

Paulina Jewel Alexis (born 1999 or 2000), also known as Wǎgíyaŋ Čížaŋ or Young Eagle, is a First Nations actress best known for her role as Willie Jack in Reservation Dogs (2021–2023).[1] She won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series in 2022[2] and in 2023 and 2024 was nominated for the Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.[3][4] The series won a Peabody Award.[5]

Alexis was raised on the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation reserve in Alberta. As a child, she played hockey and attended school in Edmonton. At age 18, she landed her first professional film role as a minor character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), and later featured in the 2020 Canadian film Beans. She had her breakout role as the tomboyish girl Willie Jack on Reservation Dogs, a performance which garnered critical attention.

Early life and education

Paulina Jewel Alexis, or Young Eagle, "Wǎgíyaŋ Čížaŋ"[6] in her native Íhârne Stoney Nakoda language, was born on 1999 or 2000[7] and raised in the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation reserve in Alberta, Canada.[8] Her family tree includes Treaty 6, Treaty 7, and Treaty 8 Territories in Canada.[6]

Alexis has discussed starting to play hockey at age 4, regularly practicing during her childhood, and playing left wing as of 2021.[7] She and her mother have also discussed her experiences growing up on the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation reserve, and her experiences at school in Edmonton.[8] Her father has made documentaries through his production company.[9][10] Alexis has an older brother, Nathan, who played the role of Angus in Rhymes for Young Ghouls (2013)[7] as well as two other brothers.[11] During her childhood, Alexis went to many casting calls for commercials and acting roles;[7][9] her first paid acting role was a driving commercial for which she was paid $100.[11]

Career

Early roles

Alexis landed her first professional acting role at age 18, playing a minor character in Ghostbusters: Afterlife.[lower-alpha 1][10][9] After signing with Nathan's agent, she had a video audition; director Jason Reitman was sufficiently impressed to invite her to a live audition.[11] Alexis' next role was as April in the award-winning Canadian film Beans (2020), a semi-autobiographical story written and directed by Tracey Deer (Mohawk) about the Oka Crisis at Kanesatake, Quebec.[13] Alexis has said that being on the set of Beans was incredibly fun, Deer allowed her to improvise some of her lines, and she met her future Reservation Dogs co-star D'Pharaoh Woon-a-tai.[14]

Reservation Dogs

Alexis originally auditioned for the role of Elora, a female lead in Reservation Dogs,[7] but Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs was chosen to play her. The showrunners asked Alexis to read for Willie Jack, who was originally a male character.[7] The character was revised to be female when Alexis was cast.[8][15] Alexis described developing her vision of Willie Jack for the audition process: "I just created Willie Jack how I think she would be, with her braids, she's always loud, with her bros, she loves hard, and just did it like that."[16]

After Alexis was given the role, she was encouraged by the show producers to improvise lines for her character and helped develop the wardrobe.[17][18] Alexis sometimes consulted with her brother on the development of lines for Willie Jack.[17] In an interview with W, Alexis said, "I've grown up with a lot of strong people, so I wanted to represent that - to show that we do have hearts and we care about our people a lot. Showing that - and getting our humor, because we’re funny - was the mission."[18]

According to Sophie Brookover at Vulture, over the course of the show, Willie Jack "emerged as the heart, conscience, and memory keeper of the group."[16] Jenelle Riley writes for Variety, "It’s cliché to talk about young actors being older than their years, but Alexis delivers wisecracks with the timing of an old pro - her one-liners are as memorable as her hats."[19]

Bones of Crows

Alexis is also featured as the character Immpy in the film Bones of Crows (2022), an inter-generational tale about a family of Indigenous women, who are living with the traumas inflicted by genocidal Indian residential schools.[20]

Wheetago War

Alexis is voice acting in an upcoming Indigenous claymation short film, titled Wheetago War, a stop motion animation interpretation of the original story by Richard Van Camp (Tłı̨chǫ Dene), adapted from his short story "The Wheetago", and presented by Spotted Fawn Productions. Wheetago are a race of supernatural beings from Indigenous lore, and the name Wheetago translates to "body eater" in the Dene language, which the producers of Wheetago War say "have existed across indigenous cultures to teach us about greed".[21] The producers of Wheetago War confirmed in early 2023 that Alexis was cast as the gender-switching character Young Dove.[22]

Personal life

Alexis plays hockey,[7] rides horses, and participates in horse relay races.[8] Alexis has said that she thinks that being around horses benefits mental health.[23]

Filmography

Film

Filmography: Film
Year Title Role Director Notes
2020 Beans April Tracey Deer
2021 Ghostbusters: Afterlife Bunny Jason Reitman Filmed in 2019[12]
2022 Bones of Crows Immpy Marie Clements
TBA Wheetago War Young Dove Short film; voice acting

Television

Filmography: Television
Year Title Role Notes
2021–2023 Reservation Dogs Willie Jack Main role

Awards and nominations

Awards and nominations for Paulina Alexis
Year Award Category Work Result
2022 Independent Spirit Awards Best Ensemble Cast in a New Scripted Series (Shared with the cast) Reservation Dogs Won
Pena de Prata Best Ensemble in a Comedy Series (Shared with the cast) Won
2023 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series Nominated
2024 Critics' Choice Television Awards Nominated

Notes

  1. ↑ Filmed in 2019, but not released until 2021.[12]

References

  1. ↑ Allaire, Christian (March 14, 2022). "Paulina Alexis's Critics Choice Awards Look Was a Display of Indigenous Pride". Vogue. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ "History". Film Independent. Archived from the original on April 20, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  3. ↑ Panaligan, E. J.; Earl, William (January 16, 2023). "Critics' Choice Awards 2023 Full Winners List: 'Everything Everywhere All at Once,' 'Abbott Elementary' and 'Better Call Saul' Take Top Honors". Variety. Archived from the original on January 16, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  4. ↑ Brathwaite, Lester Fabian (January 14, 2024). "Oppenheimer, Barbie, The Bear lead 2024 Critics Choice Awards: See the full winners list". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Reservation Dogs". The Peabody Awards. Archived from the original on August 6, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "Paulina Alexis Bio". FX. FX Networks. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Knight, Ivy (October 15, 2021). "A Star of 'Reservation Dogs' Breaks Barriers". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Moya-Smith, Simon (October 4, 2022). "Paulina Alexis Doesn't Care If You Think She's 'Too Rez' The Reservation Dogs star won't let anything — or anyone — get in her way". The Cut. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 Nelson, Kate (August 2023). "Paulina Alexis Saddles Up for Reservation Dogs' Last Ride". Elle. Archived from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  10. 1 2 Boutsalis, Kelly (July 22, 2022). "Paulina Alexis is Reservation Dogs' breakout star". Maclean's. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 Murray, Tom (September 10, 2022). "Indigenous star seeing impact of TV success". Edmonton Journal. p. C2. Retrieved October 14, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 Lawrence, Gregory (October 18, 2019). "Jason Reitman Posts Wrap Photo from the Set of 'Ghostbusters: Rust City'". Collider. Archived from the original on October 19, 2019. Retrieved October 18, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Beans, Blood Quantum Win Big at 4th Night of Canadian Screen Awards". CBC. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  14. ↑ ""APTN News - Face to Face: Paulina Alexis says Reservation Dogs is representing Indigenous Peoples in a truthful way"". APTN News. Archived from the original on September 9, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023 – via YouTube.
  15. ↑ Paulina Alexis says Reservation Dogs is representing Indigenous Peoples in a truthful way (Television production). Face 2 Face. Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. November 22, 2022. Event occurs at 04:00–05:17.
  16. 1 2 Brookover, Sophie (August 16, 2023). "Reservation Dogs's Paulina Alexis Found Solace in Willie Jack's Healing Journey". Vulture. New York Vulture. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  17. 1 2 Simonpillai, Radheyan (April 6, 2022). "Canada's Rising Screen Stars: Paulina Alexis". NOW Toronto. Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  18. 1 2 "Paulina Alexis Isn't Ready to Say Goodbye to Willie Jack". W Magazine. July 31, 2023. Archived from the original on September 8, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  19. ↑ Riley, Jenelle (June 16, 2023). "Harold Perrineau, Paulina Alexis and Other Great Performances that Finally Deserve Emmy Recognition". Variety. Archived from the original on July 27, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  20. ↑ "Bones of Crows". TIFF. Archived from the original on October 4, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  21. ↑ "Wheetago War". Spotted Fawn Productions. Archived from the original on September 18, 2023. Retrieved September 17, 2023.
  22. ↑ ""Wheetego War"". Spotted Fawn Productions. Retrieved September 17, 2023 – via Instagram.
  23. ↑ Barbour, Shannon (August 2, 2023). "'Reservation Dogs' Actor Paulina Alexis Talks the Healing Power of Horses". Wonder Mind. Archived from the original on September 17, 2023. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
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