Chaske Spencer


Chaske Spencer is a Native American actor and producer. He had a recurring role as Deputy Billy Raven in the Cinemax original series Banshee.

Life and career

Spencer was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and grew up in Montana, Kooskia, Lapwai, and Lewiston, Idaho. His heritage includes Lakota, Nez Perce, Cherokee, Creek, French, and Dutch; he is a member of the Fort Peck Tribe, and has two younger sisters. He graduated from Clearwater Valley High School in 1994, where he went by the name James Spencer, and acted as a young teen at the Lewiston Civic Theater. Spencer went to college at Lewis Clark State College for a year before dropping out to pursue his acting career.
He struggled doing odd jobs and addiction by taking acting lessons from coaches like David Gideon and Ed Kovens. Then he got a role in the 2002 film Skins, which then lead to Dreamkeeper, and Into the West.
In 2009, Spencer played werewolf Sam Uley in New Moon, based on Stephenie Meyer's novel of the same name. He finished filming Eclipse in October 2009, reprising his role as Sam.
In 2015, Spencer was cast in the recurring role of Billy Raven in Banshee after making his debut one year prior in the web series Banshee Origins.

Filmography

Awards and nominations