August Schellenberg

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Canadian actor (1936–2013)

title: "August Schellenberg" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1936-births", "2013-deaths", "20th-century-canadian-male-actors", "21st-century-canadian-male-actors", "anglophone-quebec-people", "best-supporting-actor-genie-and-canadian-screen-award-winners", "burials-at-sparkman-hillcrest-memorial-park-cemetery", "canadian-expatriate-male-actors-in-the-united-states", "canadian-male-film-actors", "canadian-male-shakespearean-actors", "canadian-male-television-actors", "canadian-male-voice-actors", "canadian-people-of-english-descent", "canadian-people-of-mohawk-descent", "canadian-people-of-swiss-german-descent", "deaths-from-lung-cancer-in-texas", "male-actors-from-montreal", "national-theatre-school-of-canada-alumni", "academic-staff-of-the-centre-for-indigenous-theatre"] description: "Canadian actor (1936–2013)" topic_path: "technology/web" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_Schellenberg" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Canadian actor (1936–2013) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
nameAugust Schellenberg
birth_nameAugust Werner Schellenberg
birth_date
birth_placeMontreal, Quebec, Canada
death_date
death_placeDallas, Texas, U.S.
resting_placeSparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery
other_namesAugie Schellenberg
educationNational Theatre School of Canada
occupationActor
years_active1964–2013
spouseJoan Karasevich
children3
website
::

| name = August Schellenberg | birth_name = August Werner Schellenberg | birth_date = | birth_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada | death_date = | death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S. | resting_place = Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery | other_names = Augie Schellenberg | education = National Theatre School of Canada | occupation = Actor | years_active = 1964–2013 | spouse = Joan Karasevich | children = 3 | website =

August Werner Schellenberg (July 25, 1936 – August 15, 2013) was a Canadian actor. He played Randolph in the first three installments of the Free Willy film series (1993–1997) as well as characters in Black Robe (1991), The New World (2005), and dozens of other films and television shows.

During his career, Schellenberg won a Gemini Award in 1986 and a Genie Award in 1991, as well as being nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in 2007.

Life and career

Schellenberg was born and lived in Montreal, Quebec, until he moved to Toronto, Ontario, in 1967. He was of English, Mohawk and Swiss-German descent. He also spoke French. He was based in Toronto until 1995. He lived in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, actress Joan Karasevich. He was the father of three daughters, two with Karasevich. He was trained at the National Theatre School of Canada from 1963 to 1966.

His initial work was in the Don Shebib-directed coming-of-age film Rip-Off, in 1971. In 1981, he did voices for the animated film Heavy Metal. During the 1990s he had major roles in Black Robe (as Chomina), Free Willy and its sequels (as Randolph Johnson), Iron Will (Ned Dodd), True Heart (Khonanesta), and TV film Crazy Horse (Sitting Bull). He went on to star as Chief Powhatan in Terrence Malick's 2005 film The New World. He also had roles in Disney's Eight Below and in the doco The Green Chain (2007). In 2011, he appeared in two episodes of the television series Stargate Universe as Yaozu. His favorite role was that of Sitting Bull in the film Crazy Horse, a character he reprised in the film version of the Dee Brown bestseller Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, for which he received an Emmy nomination. He also starred in Dreamkeeper (2003) as Pete Chasing Horse.

Schellenberg was nominated for three Genie Awards and won one (for Black Robe). He was also nominated for two Gemini Awards, and won one (for the television movie The Prodigal).

In 2012, he performed the title role in an all-aboriginal production of William Shakespeare's King Lear at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, alongside a cast that also included Billy Merasty as Gloucester, Tantoo Cardinal as Regan, Jani Lauzon in a dual role as Cordelia and the Fool, Craig Lauzon as Kent, and the play's assistant director, Lorne Cardinal, as The Duke of Albany.

During his lifetime, Schellenberg taught acting seminars at Toronto's Centre for Indigenous Theatre and York University. He conducted motivational workshops in schools and for cultural and community organizations across North America. Schellenberg's younger brother played Dior in Grey's Anatomy, season 5. Shortly after that, August died of lung cancer.

Death

Schellenberg died of lung cancer on August 15, 2013, in Dallas, Texas, after a long illness. He was interred at Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery.

Filmography

Film

Television

::data[format=table title="{{Screen reader-only| August Schellenberg television credits}}"]

YearTitleRoleNotes
1964Shoestring TheatreEpisode: "The Dark Mirror"
1977The New AvengersBaileyEpisode: "Forward Base"
1983The HitchhikerBob AmesEpisode: "When Morning Comes"
1985Tramp at the DoorAlbert FournierTV miniseries
1986The EqualizerBrennanEpisode: "Unpunished Crimes"
1986Philip Marlowe, Private EyeJohnny TangoEpisode: "Blackmailers Don't Shoot"
1986Lance et compteAllan Goldberg1 episode
1987AirwolfGregori NobokovEpisode: "Deathtrain"
1988The Return of Ben CaseyDr. MadiganTV movie
1989Champagne CharlieGeneral ButlerTV miniseries
1990CounterstrikeCortezEpisode: "Now and at the Hour of Our Death"
1991CounterstrikeSt. JohnEpisode: "Native Warriors"
1992The Adventures of TintinEnglish version, voice
1993GeronimoCochiseTV movie
1994Getting GottiWillie Boy JohnsonTV movie
1994Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded KneeDick WilsonTV movie
1994Lonesome Dove: The SeriesChief Iron BowTV miniseries. Episode: "Last Stand"
1994–1995North of 60Ben Montour5 episodes
1994–1995Walker Texas RangerBilly Gray Wolf2 episodes
1995Tecumseh: The Last WarriorBlack HoofTV movie
1996The Siege at Ruby RidgeNative AmericanTV movie
1996Crazy HorseSitting BullTV movie
1996Ken Burns Presents: The WestVarious (voice)TV miniseries documentary.
1998Scattering DadFierce CrowTV movie
1999Lakota MoonBull ElkTV movie
2000So WeirdTom MartinezEpisode: "Destiny"
2000High NoonAntonioTV movie
2002ChiefsSitting BullTV miniseries documentary
2003DreamkeeperGrandpaTV movie
2004The Making of "DreamKeeper"HimselfVideo documentary short
2006Making "The New World"HimselfVideo documentary
2007Bury My Heart at Wounded KneeSitting BullTV movie
2008Grey's AnatomyClay BedonieEpisode: "These Ties That Bind"
2007–2010Saving GraceGeePaw1 episode
::

References

References

  1. Townend, Paul. (August 19, 2013). "August Schellenberg".
  2. (1936-07-25). "Biography". Augustschellenberg.com.
  3. (October 11, 2013). "August Schellenberg was trailblazer in Canadian theatre". The Globe and Mail.
  4. "Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee {{pipe}} Television Academy". emmys.com.
  5. "Canadian actor August Schellenberg dies at 77". Globalnews.ca.
  6. [https://ottawacitizen.com/life/Aboriginal+cast+staging+King+Lear/6612207/story.html "Aboriginal cast in staging of King Lear"]{{dead link. (November 2017)
  7. (16 August 2013). "August Schellenberg Dead -- 'Free Willy' Star Dies at 77". EHM Productions, Inc..
  8. (16 August 2013). "Mohawk actor August Schellenberg dies at 77". [[CBC/Radio-Canada]].
  9. Simnacher, Joe. (17 August 2013). "Actor in 'Free Willy' movies". [[The Dallas Morning News]].

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1936-births2013-deaths20th-century-canadian-male-actors21st-century-canadian-male-actorsanglophone-quebec-peoplebest-supporting-actor-genie-and-canadian-screen-award-winnersburials-at-sparkman-hillcrest-memorial-park-cemeterycanadian-expatriate-male-actors-in-the-united-statescanadian-male-film-actorscanadian-male-shakespearean-actorscanadian-male-television-actorscanadian-male-voice-actorscanadian-people-of-english-descentcanadian-people-of-mohawk-descentcanadian-people-of-swiss-german-descentdeaths-from-lung-cancer-in-texasmale-actors-from-montrealnational-theatre-school-of-canada-alumniacademic-staff-of-the-centre-for-indigenous-theatre