
Actor
Tantoo Cardinal
- Born: 20 July 1950, Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada
- Estimated net worth: 1 million USD
Tantoo Cardinal is a prominent Indigenous Canadian actress known for her powerful performances in film and television. She gained recognition for roles in films like 'Dances with Wolves' and 'Smoke Signals.' Known for her strong voice and emotional depth, she…
Tantoo Cardinal: best films and shows
About Tantoo Cardinal
Tantoo Cardinal is a prominent Indigenous Canadian actress known for her powerful performances in film and television. She gained recognition for roles in films like 'Dances with Wolves' and 'Smoke Signals.' Known for her strong voice and emotional depth, she has become a respected figure in Indigenous cinema and continues to advocate for Indigenous rights through her work.
- Born
- 20 July 1950, Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada
- Height
- 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
- Spouses
- Terry J. L. (1992-2000)
- Children
- 2, Dakota and Kira
- Parents
- Robert Cardinal, Elizabeth Cardinal
- Estimated net worth
- 1 million USD
Fun facts about Tantoo Cardinal
- Tantoo Cardinal is a member of the Métis Nation.
- She has received multiple awards for her contributions to film and Indigenous representation.
Famous Tantoo Cardinal quotes
“I am not afraid to speak my mind.”
“We are all connected to the land.”
“Respect the earth, respect each other.”
Tantoo Cardinal filmography
Cast (127)
| Year | Title | Character | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wildwood Movie | Iphigenia (voice) | |
| 2026 | Below TV | Anik | 7.3 |
| 2025 | The American Revolution TV | (voice) | 5.9 |
| 2025 | Bearing Witness Native American Voices in Hollywood Movie | Self | 7.5 |
| 2024 | Inkwo for When the Starving Return Movie | Auntie (voice) | 4.0 |
| 2024 | An Ode for Leviticus Movie | Luna | |
| 2024 | Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Echo Movie | Self - Chula | 5.8 |
| 2024 | Echo TV | Chula Battiest | 6.0 |
| 2023 | Killers of the Flower Moon Movie | Lizzie Q | 7.4 |
| 2023 | The American Buffalo TV | (voice) | 7.4 |
Show 117 more creditsShow fewer
| Year | Title | Character | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Three Pines TV | Bea Mayer | 6.5 |
| 2022 | The Last Manhunt Movie | Ticup | 5.8 |
| 2022 | Wendell & Wild Movie | Ms. Hunter (voice) | 6.6 |
| 2022 | ONI: Thunder God's Tale TV | Principal (voice) | 7.5 |
| 2022 | Spirit Rangers TV | Moon (voice) | 6.8 |
| 2022 | The Boss Baby: Back in the Crib TV | Marie Chalifoux (voice) | 7.4 |
| 2021 | However Wide the Sky: Places of Power Movie | Self - Narrator | |
| 2021 | Back Home Again Movie | Mrs. Grey Horns (voice) | 7.0 |
| 2021 | Tantoo Cardinal Movie | self | |
| 2020 | The Corruption of Divine Providence Movie | Juniper Fairweather | 7.0 |
| 2019 | See TV | The Dreamer | 8.1 |
| 2019 | Red Snow Movie | Grandmother Ruth | 5.3 |
| 2019 | Stumptown TV | Sue Lynn Blackbird | 7.2 |
| 2019 | The Grizzlies Movie | Janace | 7.2 |
| 2019 | Through Black Spruce Movie | Mary-Lou | 5.2 |
| 2018 | Abandoned: Angelique's Isle Movie | Green Thunderbird Woman | 6.0 |
| 2018 | New Amsterdam TV | Jane Munsee | 8.3 |
| 2018 | Hold the Dark Movie | Illanaq | 5.4 |
| 2018 | Falls Around Her Movie | Mary Birchbark | 7.5 |
| 2018 | Corner Gas Animated TV | Real Estate Agent (voice) | 7.0 |
| 2017 | The Great Northern Candy Drop Movie | Narrator / Louisa (voice) | 6.0 |
| 2017 | Godless TV | Iyovi | 7.7 |
| 2017 | Wind River Movie | Alice Crowheart | 7.4 |
| 2017 | Cardinal TV | Nookomis | 6.9 |
| 2016 | Frontier TV | Kamenna | 6.8 |
| 2016 | Westworld TV | Ehawee | 8.0 |
| 2016 | Bull TV | Chief Tsosie | 7.1 |
| 2016 | ARQ Movie | The Pope | 6.1 |
| 2016 | On the Farm Movie | Ada Taylor | 5.0 |
| 2015 | Hope Bridge Movie | Lana | 4.9 |
| 2014 | Mohawk Girls TV | Zoe’s Mom | 4.8 |
| 2014 | Strange Empire TV | Pichette | 5.0 |
| 2014 | Outlander TV | Adawehi | 8.2 |
| 2014 | Penny Dreadful TV | Old Native American Woman | 7.8 |
| 2014 | Rez Carz Movie | (voice) | |
| 2014 | Chasing Shakespeare Movie | Older Venus | 3.1 |
| 2014 | Down Here Movie | Stella Mitchell | 5.2 |
| 2013 | Maïna Movie | Tekahera | 6.5 |
| 2013 | Eden Movie | The Nurse | 6.5 |
| 2012 | Longmire TV | Marilyn Yarlott | 7.7 |
| 2012 | Arctic Air TV | Aunt Mary | 6.3 |
| 2011 | Shouting Secrets Movie | June | 9.0 |
| 2011 | The Killing TV | Hooker | 7.8 |
| 2011 | Blackstone TV | Wilma Stoney | 7.0 |
| 2010 | Fathers & Sons Movie | Gordon’s Sister | 2.7 |
| 2010 | Shattered TV | Carol | 5.2 |
| 2010 | Every Emotion Costs Movie | Aunt Marcy | |
| 2009 | Changing Climates, Changing Times Movie | Grace Lajoie | 6.4 |
| 2008 | Mothers & Daughters Movie | Celine | 1.0 |
| 2008 | Dear Prudence Movie | Ruth Vigil | 6.5 |
| 2008 | Mom, Dad and Her Movie | Heather | 4.5 |
| 2008 | Older Than America Movie | Auntie Apple | 4.4 |
| 2008 | The Englishman's Boy TV | Little Soldier's Wife | 3.2 |
| 2008 | The Guard TV | Ursula | 7.7 |
| 2007 | Luna: Spirit of the Whale Movie | Gloria Maquinna | 6.2 |
| 2006 | The Road to Christmas Movie | Sioux Woman | 5.7 |
| 2006 | Indian Summer: The Oka Crisis TV | Iba Beauvais | 7.0 |
| 2006 | Unnatural & Accidental Movie | Aunt Shadie / Rita | 4.4 |
| 2004 | H2O TV | Grand Chief Katie Blackfire | 9.0 |
| 2004 | H2O Movie | Grand Chief Katie Blackfire | 5.2 |
| 2004 | A Thief Of Time Movie | Irene Musket | 6.0 |
| 2003 | Dreamkeeper TV | Old Pawnee Woman | 7.5 |
| 2003 | Dreamkeeper Movie | Old Pawnee Woman | 6.7 |
| 2003 | Moccasin Flats TV | Betty | 10.0 |
| 2003 | Dances with Wolves: The Creation of an Epic Movie | Self | 8.0 |
| 2002 | How the Fiddle Flows Movie | Narrator (voice) | 10.0 |
| 2002 | Edge of Madness Movie | Ruth | 5.6 |
| 2002 | Tom Stone TV | Judge Crowfoot | 8.0 |
| 2001 | MythQuest TV | Walloha | 7.2 |
| 2001 | In the Light of Reverence Movie | Narrator (voice) | |
| 2001 | Dodson's Journey Movie | Waitress | 4.6 |
| 2000 | The Lost Child Movie | Aunt Mary | 7.1 |
| 2000 | Canada: A People's History TV | Plains Storyteller | 8.8 |
| 2000 | The Hi-Line Movie | Singing Bird | 5.5 |
| 2000 | Postmark Paradise Movie | Reenie | 9.0 |
| 2000 | Navigating the Heart Movie | Mary | 7.0 |
| 1999 | A Stranger in the Kingdom Movie | Heaven Fontaine | 3.5 |
| 1999 | Family Law TV | Mrs. Grant | 8.1 |
| 1998 | Smoke Signals Movie | Arlene Joseph | 6.8 |
| 1998 | Heartwood Movie | Violet Boucher | 3.8 |
| 1998 | Big Bear Movie | Running Second | 9.0 |
| 1998 | Cold Squad TV | Theresa Sandiman | 7.1 |
| 1998 | Honey Moccasin Movie | Honey Moccasin | 4.0 |
| 1997 | The Education of Little Tree Movie | Nonna | 6.6 |
| 1996 | Grand Avenue Movie | Nellie | 8.0 |
| 1995 | Lonesome Dove: The Outlaw Years TV | Gabe LaRoche’s Mother | 6.1 |
| 1995 | Tecumseh: The Last Warrior Movie | Turtle Mother | 6.8 |
| 1995 | Nobody's Girls: Five Women of the West Movie | Sarah Winnemucca | 9.0 |
| 1995 | Prophecy, Milestones & Challenges Movie | Alive | |
| 1994 | Legends of the Fall Movie | Pet | 7.4 |
| 1994 | Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee Movie | Mary's Mother | 6.7 |
| 1994 | Sioux City Movie | Dawn Rainfeather | 5.1 |
| 1994 | Silent Tongue Movie | Silent Tongue | 4.7 |
| 1993 | Harts of the West TV | Helen | 6.8 |
| 1993 | Spirit Rider Movie | Marilyn St. Claire | 7.0 |
| 1993 | Where the Rivers Flow North Movie | Bangor | 6.4 |
| 1993 | Mustard Bath Movie | Sister Amantha | 7.0 |
| 1993 | Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman TV | Snow Bird | 7.6 |
| 1992 | North of 60 TV | Betty Moses | 6.0 |
| 1991 | Black Robe Movie | Chomina's Wife | 6.5 |
| 1991 | The Lightning Incident Movie | Vivian | 5.5 |
| 1990 | The Making of 'Dances with Wolves' Movie | Herself | 7.0 |
| 1990 | Dances with Wolves Movie | Black Shawl | 7.8 |
| 1990 | Divided Loyalties Movie | Molly Brant | 8.0 |
| 1988 | War Party Movie | Sonny's Mother | 6.4 |
| 1988 | Candy Mountain Movie | Annie | 5.9 |
| 1987 | Loyalties Movie | Rosanne Ladouceur | 6.7 |
| 1987 | Gunsmoke: Return to Dodge Movie | Little Doe | 6.5 |
| 1987 | Street Legal TV | Renee Stonehouse | 7.3 |
| 1986 | The Campbells TV | Maria Brant | 6.0 |
| 1986 | Places Not Our Own Movie | Rose (as Tantoo Martin-Cardinal) | 6.0 |
| 1983 | Running Brave Movie | Caroline | 4.3 |
| 1981 | Death Hunt Movie | Indian Woman | 6.7 |
| 1978 | Marie Ann Movie | Tantou, Indian princess | 8.0 |
| 1976 | For the Record TV | Unknown character | 9.0 |
| 1953 | The Oscars TV | Self | 7.1 |
| 1951 | Hallmark Hall of Fame TV | Aunt Mary | 8.8 |
Crew (1)
| Year | Title | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Sisters Rising Movie | Executive Producer · Production | 8.0 |
Latest releases
- Bearing Witness Native American Voices in Hollywood2025 / TMDB 7.5
- Inkwo for When the Starving Return2024 / TMDB 4.0
- An Ode for Leviticus2024
- Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Echo2024 / TMDB 5.8
- Killers of the Flower Moon2023 / TMDB 7.4
- The Last Manhunt2022 / TMDB 5.8
Questions about Tantoo Cardinal
What are some of Tantoo Cardinal's most recognized roles?
Tantoo Cardinal is best known for her roles in 'Dances with Wolves,' 'Smoke Signals,' and 'The Last of Us.' Her performances often highlight Indigenous narratives.
Has Tantoo Cardinal won any awards?
Yes, she has received several awards, including the Best Actress Award at the American Indian Film Festival for her role in 'Smoke Signals.'
When did Tantoo Cardinal start her acting career?
Tantoo Cardinal began her acting career in the late 1970s, with her first notable role in the television series 'The Beachcombers' in 1975.
What is Tantoo Cardinal's estimated net worth?
Tantoo Cardinal's estimated net worth is around 1 million USD, reflecting her extensive career in film and television.
What themes does Tantoo Cardinal often explore in her films?
Tantoo Cardinal often explores themes of Indigenous identity, culture, and resilience in her films, bringing attention to important social issues.
What impact has Tantoo Cardinal had on Indigenous representation in film?
Tantoo Cardinal has played a pivotal role in increasing Indigenous representation in film, advocating for authentic portrayals of Indigenous peoples.
What are some of Tantoo Cardinal's recent projects?
Recently, Tantoo Cardinal appeared in the critically acclaimed series 'The Last of Us,' showcasing her continued relevance in the industry.
Is Tantoo Cardinal involved in any activism?
Yes, Tantoo Cardinal is actively involved in Indigenous rights activism, using her platform to raise awareness about Indigenous issues and representation.





