Lily Gladstone
With a quiet, devastating power, she became the first Native American actress nominated for the Best Actress Oscar, centering Indigenous stories on cinema's biggest stage.
Born 1986 (age 40)·American actress·Birthday: August 2·Millennials
Biography
Lily Gladstone's path to Hollywood was not a conventional one. Raised on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, her connection to land and community informed her approach to acting long before she ever saw a film set. She built a career on patience and precision, taking roles in independent films like 'Certain Women' that allowed her to convey oceans of feeling with a glance. Her breakthrough was not a sudden explosion but a slow, gathering storm. It culminated in her portrayal of Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon,' a performance of immense restraint and profound sorrow that anchored the epic film. In playing an Osage woman navigating love and unimaginable betrayal, Gladstone didn't just act a history; she embodied a lived truth. Her Golden Globe win and historic Oscar nomination were not just personal triumphs but watershed moments for Indigenous representation, proving that the most powerful stories are often told in the quietest voices.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Lily was born in 1986, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Lily Was Born
The biggest hits of 1986
#1 Movie
Top Gun
Best Picture
Platoon
#1 TV Show
The Cosby Show
Lily's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1986Born
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1991Started school
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1999Became a teenager
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2002Could drive
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2004Could vote
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2007Turned 21
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2016Turned 30
Donald Trump elected president; Brexit vote
Gas: $2.14/galHome: $181,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Love Yourself" — Justin BieberBest Picture: Moonlight
2026Turned 40
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Native American to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for 'Killers of the Flower Moon.'
- Earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, the first for a Native American actress in that category.
- Received widespread critical acclaim for her supporting role in Kelly Reichardt's film 'Certain Women.'
- Won the Best Actress award at the 2023 National Board of Review for her performance in 'Killers of the Flower Moon.'
Did You Know?
She is of Piegan Blackfeet, Nez Perce, and European descent.
She taught a Blackfeet language immersion class for children before her acting career took off.
Her first language was Blackfeet, and she learned English when she started school.
She adopted a cat named 'Larry Bird' while filming 'Killers of the Flower Moon' in Oklahoma.
“This is for every little rez kid, every little urban kid, every little Native kid out there who has a dream, who is seeing themselves represented and our stories told by ourselves, in our own words.”
