Who is Lily Gladstone, and will she be the first indigenous Oscar winner?

Before gaining widespread acclaim for her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, Lily Gladstone was relatively unknown.

However, following the announcement of the nominations for the 96th Academy Awards, Gladstone made Oscar history as the first Native American actress to receive a Best Actress nomination, and there's a strong possibility that she might clinch the coveted title.

While winning an Oscar is not surprising given the film's quality and her performance, Gladstone's identity and experiences infuse this award with special significance.

Gladstone is of Native American descent with Blackfeet heritage. She grew up on the Blackfeet Reservation in northwest Montana and resided there until the age of 11. She told the media that her life on the reservation has influenced her aspiration to become an actress, emphasizing that her community played a pivotal role in shaping her dreams of pursuing an acting career.

Throughout Gladstone’s 10-odd-year-long acting career, she hasn't been involved in many films, and most of her roles have been in niche productions. In 2012, she directed her first short film, Universal VIP, which received a lukewarm response. The film is not available on IMDb – there are no videos of or discussions about it, and it is not even added to watchlists. There are only a meager four stills available. Subsequently, in 2013, she participated in her first feature film, Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian. This movie depicts Native American stories, and earned a nomination for Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year. Despite having a relatively minor role, and being listed second to last in the cast credits, all these factors made this film one of Gladstone’s defining works.

In 2016, she appeared in the drama film Certain Women, set in a small town in Montana. Gladstone portrayed a local ranch owner, and skillfully depicted the nuanced and touching emotions of a lesbian character and her yearning for love. With this film, Gladstone received several nominations, including a Best Supporting Actress nod from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association – a notable achievement among her limited pre-Killers of the Flower Moon accolades. In 2019, the Western-themed film, First Cow, which she had a role in, was released. The movie unfolds the story of a Western chef and a Chinese immigrant, both seeking fortune in the West. Gladstone played the role of a local leader's wife. Perhaps due to her Native American heritage, many of the films she participated in exude a strong Western or Native American flavor, and her characters are often the "locals." Whether it's her personal identification with her indigenous roots or the labels that the industry's tagged to her, these "Western-style" films, compared to romance or commercial movies, remain niche, and affect the trajectory of Gladstone's acting career. However, beyond fame, Gladstone seems more passionate about narrating the stories of indigenous people, and showcasing their actual experiences and lives through film and television to provide a more genuine, comprehensive, and profound understanding of her own culture.

Gladstone has a profound love for acting and filmmaking, and feels a strong sense of identity and responsibility toward her Native American heritage. In 2008, she graduated from the University of Montana with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater and a Native American Studies minor with flying colors. She has consistently dedicated herself to bringing more film and theater opportunities to indigenous youths, with the aim of increasing Native American representation in the entertainment industry. As such, she collaborates with different organizations such as the National Indigenous Women's Resource Center, Roxy Film Academy, Conscious Alliance, and Longhouse Media to organize innumerable seminars on expressionism.

However, finding acting jobs as a Native American is challenging. Gladstone's acting career, her roles, and the stories of the characters she plays seemed to be confined by her "indigenous" identity, making it difficult for her to make a breakthrough. The emergence of the pandemic exacerbated the already difficult situation she faced. During that period, Gladstone's career hit rock bottom. She had virtually no filming invitations for an extended period, leading to exceptionally challenging living conditions. Before taking on her role in Killers of the Flower Moon, Gladstone contemplated a career change. She even prepared to give up her acting career, switch to become a civil servant, and work at the Washington State Department of Agriculture. When she received Martin Scorsese's call to join the cast of Killers of the Flower Moon, Gladstone was working as a beekeeper on a farm.

Killers of the Flower Moon changed everything for Gladstone, and offered her numerous new opportunities. Her portrayal of Mollie in the film is captivating, and showcases her subtle, restrained artistry. With just a glance or a smile, she conveys Mollie’s quiet strength and gentle soul. Mollie's unwavering trust in her husband. As Osage tribe members die one after another, she quietly and devoutly writes obituaries for them. From Mollie’s fondness for Ernest, the zeal of her young self during her wedding, and her sorrow and unsettlement after the consecutive deaths of her loved ones, to the despair towards her husband while on the verge of death after taking a slow-acting poison, Gladstone skillfully depicts the process of a woman losing hope with the changes of the looks in her eyes. Subsequently, Mollie embarks on a lone journey to Washington to demand justice from the president, gets divorced, remarries, and ultimately meets her demise. Gladstone uses her expressive eyes and lips to convey a wealth of emotions, accurately interpreting a straightforward woman surrounded by deceitful men.

At 37, Gladstone may not be considered young, but for her and the indigenous community, it's not too late. Regardless of whether she becomes an Oscar winner, the public's appreciation for Killers of the Flower Moon, recognition for Gladstone, and the attention on the Native American community mean the world to Gladstone and the entire indigenous community. Even if it's just a nomination, it marks a breakthrough for the indigenous community which has not received any crucial Oscar award.

I don't know whether Gladstone will win an Oscar honor, but I sincerely hope she does.