Lily Gladstone was born on August 2, 1986, in Kalispell, Montana, United States. She is an American actress and producer of Blackfeet and Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) ancestry. She appeared in Certain Women (2016) and First Cow (2019), both directed by Kelly Reichardt. In 2023, she portrayed Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro. The performance earned her the 2024 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, making her the first Native American woman nominated in that Oscar category.

Early Life and Education

Lily Gladstone was born on August 2, 1986, in Kalispell, Montana. Her father is of Blackfeet and Nimíipuu ancestry, while her mother has European ancestry. She spent her early childhood on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana before moving with her family to the Seattle area in Washington.

Gladstone became interested in acting as a child after watching Star Wars: Return of the Jedi and imagining herself portraying an Ewok. She later participated in a production of Cinderella organized by the Missoula Children's Theatre, playing one of the wicked stepsisters.

After moving to Washington, she attended acting classes and participated in youth theater productions, including activities associated with Stone Soup Theatre in Seattle.

In 2004, she graduated from Mountlake Terrace High School. She subsequently enrolled at the University of Montana, where she studied acting and directing, with a minor in Native American Studies.

During her university years, Gladstone appeared in theatrical productions including Riders to the Sea (2006), Richard III (2006), Miss Julie (2007), and Coyote on a Fence (2008). She graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

After graduating, she continued performing in theater and worked as an acting instructor, conducting classes and workshops.

Early Film Career

Lily Gladstone made her feature-film debut in Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (2012), directed by Arnaud Desplechin. She portrayed Sunshine First Raise in the film, which starred Benicio Del Toro and Mathieu Amalric.

In 2013, she appeared as Marlene in Winter in the Blood, an adaptation of the novel by Native American writer James Welch.

She continued working in independent films, including Subterranea (2015) and Buster's Mal Heart (2016).

Certain Women and First Cow

In 2016, Lily Gladstone played Jamie, a ranch worker, in Certain Women, directed by Kelly Reichardt. The film also featured Kristen Stewart, Michelle Williams, and Laura Dern.

Gladstone's character develops an attachment to a young lawyer who teaches an evening class in a small Montana town. Her performance earned the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award and the Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress, as well as an Independent Spirit Award nomination.

She reunited with Kelly Reichardt in First Cow (2019), portraying the wife of the Chief Factor. The film tells the story of two men attempting to establish a business in the Oregon Territory during the nineteenth century.

During this period, Gladstone also appeared in Walking Out (2017), Freeland (2020), and The Unknown Country (2022).

Killers of the Flower Moon

In 2023, Lily Gladstone portrayed Mollie Burkhart, born Mollie Kyle, in Killers of the Flower Moon, directed by Martin Scorsese. The film was based on the book by David Grann and examined the murders of members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma during the 1920s.

Gladstone played an Osage woman whose relatives become victims of a series of killings connected to the exploitation of oil wealth. Her husband, Ernest Burkhart, was portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio, while Robert De Niro played William Hale. Jesse Plemons appeared as federal investigator Tom White.

At the 81st Golden Globe Awards on January 7, 2024, Gladstone won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama. She became the first Indigenous performer to win that category.

She also received the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in February 2024.

At the 96th Academy Awards, she was nominated for Best Actress, becoming the first Native American woman to receive a nomination in the category. The Oscar was awarded to Emma Stone for Poor Things.

Fancy Dance and Television Roles

Lily Gladstone starred as Jax in Fancy Dance, directed by Erica Tremblay. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2023 and received a wider release in 2024.

The story follows an Indigenous woman caring for her niece while searching for her missing sister. Gladstone also served as an executive producer of the film.

She appeared in television series including Billions, in which she played Roxanne, and Reservation Dogs, portraying Hokti.

In 2024, Gladstone played police officer Cam Bentland in the crime drama miniseries Under the Bridge, alongside Riley Keough. The series was based on the book by Rebecca Godfrey about the 1997 murder of Canadian teenager Reena Virk.

Her performance earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.

Later Film and Production Work

In 2024, Lily Gladstone appeared as Tana in Jazzy, directed by Morrisa Maltz, with whom she had previously worked on The Unknown Country. She also served as an executive producer.

That year, she narrated and executive produced Bring Them Home, a documentary about efforts to restore wild buffalo to Blackfeet lands. She was also an executive producer of Sugarcane, a documentary examining the history of residential schools for Indigenous children in Canada.

In 2025, she portrayed Lee in The Wedding Banquet, directed by Andrew Ahn. The romantic comedy also starred Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran, and Han Gi-chan.

Her subsequent acting credits include In Memoriam (2026), in which she played Samantha.

Personal Life

Lily Gladstone has described herself as nonbinary and uses both she and they pronouns. She has publicly discussed her Indigenous ancestry, cultural background, and experiences as a member of the LGBTQ community.

Gladstone has also spoken about the representation of Indigenous people in film and television and has participated in projects involving Native American stories and filmmakers.

Awards and Nominations

2016 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards - Best Supporting Actress, Certain Women (Winner)
2016 - Boston Society of Film Critics Awards - Best Supporting Actress, Certain Women (Winner)
2017 - Independent Spirit Awards - Best Supporting Female, Certain Women (Nomination)
2023 - Gotham Independent Film Awards - Outstanding Lead Performance, Killers of the Flower Moon (Winner)
2023 - National Board of Review - Best Actress, Killers of the Flower Moon (Winner)
2024 - Golden Globe Awards - Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Killers of the Flower Moon (Winner)
2024 - Screen Actors Guild Awards - Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, Killers of the Flower Moon (Winner)
2024 - Academy Awards - Best Actress, Killers of the Flower Moon (Nomination)
2024 - Primetime Emmy Awards - Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, Under the Bridge (Nomination)

Films and Television Series

2026 - In Memoriam (Samantha) (Film)
2025 - The Wedding Banquet (Lee) (Film)
2024 - Under the Bridge (Cam Bentland) (TV Miniseries)
2024 - Jazzy (Tana) (Film)
2024 - Bring Them Home (Narrator, Voice) (Documentary)
2023 - Fancy Dance (Jax) (Film; Wide Release in 2024)
2023 - Killers of the Flower Moon (Mollie Burkhart) (Film)
2022–2023 - Reservation Dogs (Hokti) (TV Series)
2022 - The Last Manhunt (Maria) (Film)
2022 - Quantum Cowboys (Linde) (Film)
2022 - The Unknown Country (Tana) (Film)
2021 - Tuca & Bertie (Hawk Mechanic, Voice) (Animated Series)
2020 - Two Eyes (Enola) (Film)
2020 - Freeland (Mara) (Film)
2019–2023 - Billions (Roxanne) (TV Series)
2019 - First Cow (Chief Factor's Wife) (Film)
2017 - The Thin Line (Darla Dietrich) (Film)
2017–2020 - Room 104 (911 Operator / Abby) (TV Series)
2017 - Crash Course (Host) (Web Series)
2017 - Scalped (Carol Red Crow) (TV Pilot)
2017 - Walking Out (Lila) (Film)
2016 - Buster's Mal Heart (Morning Shift Concierge) (Film)
2016 - Certain Women (Jamie / Rancher) (Film)
2015 - Subterranea (Heather) (Film)
2013 - Winter in the Blood (Marlene) (Film)
2012 - Jimmy P: Psychotherapy of a Plains Indian (Sunshine First Raise) (Film)

Production Credits

2024 - Sugarcane (Executive Producer) (Documentary)
2024 - Bring Them Home (Executive Producer) (Documentary)
2024 - Jazzy (Executive Producer) (Film)
2023 - Fancy Dance (Executive Producer) (Film)

Source: Biyografiler.com