And I hope a lot of people get a sense of that; not to take away that we also have that warrior spirit.
ADAM BEACHAnd I hope a lot of people get a sense of that; not to take away that we also have that warrior spirit.
ADAM BEACHWell to me growing, up I’ve had my own psychological war with my parents dying at such a young age. My mother was killed by a drunk driver, then two months later my father drowned.
ADAM BEACHI do a lot of inspirational talks for kids, to motivate them to change their lives and give them hope.
ADAM BEACHGrowing up with sexual abuse and having to be in gangs and dealing with my own trauma; finding the cultural identity when I was 16, and learning those traditional ways saved me from hurting myself.
ADAM BEACHIt’s what we put in our minds and our hearts to succeed. And success isn’t about money.
ADAM BEACHI was able to express certain emotions and feelings that I could put into other characters, so it was a good way for me to run away from ho I personally was.
ADAM BEACHI think when I started acting it was the first time I got the freedom of expression.
ADAM BEACHWith this film, it’s nice to see that the trauma is presented from a white male that was in the Civil War and that trauma affects him in a way that still exists.
ADAM BEACHWe [Native Americans] respect being human beings, but also the natural and spiritual world and I thought that came across wonderfully
ADAM BEACHI have a tendency get a little worked up. So I was interested in learning more about the complicated conflict and decided I would lend some of my time and energy to do so.
ADAM BEACHSmoke Signals really mirrored the way I grew up and how I felt, and that movie was the first time I’d dealt with my parents’ death and how I felt that loss and sadness and anger.
ADAM BEACHAfter that movie I said, “Y’know what, I have to realistically wear my emotions now when I do a job. That’s gotta be as real as it gets. It’s not just dialogue anymore.”
ADAM BEACHThose traumas when it comes to the historical past generation to generation; our children, our grandchildren, our future grandchildren learn these behaviors.
ADAM BEACHEver since I started acting, I’ve always spoken to our people about identity. I’ve spoken to kids, telling them: “Where do I get my strength to push through the barriers to get me where I’m at today? It’s my culture and my traditions, you know?
ADAM BEACHActing for me was an escape and it wasn’t until Smoke Signals that made me realize that acting is a personal development and challenge to grow.
ADAM BEACHHe was out with his friends drinking and on medication for depression, and he didn’t come out of the water alive.
ADAM BEACH