Jay Tavare has a very high profile resume having worked with such Academy Award winners as Meryl Streep, Ron Howard, Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Halle Berry, Renée Zellweger, and Nicole Kidman.

How do you top the above?

Well you get cast personally by Steven Spielberg in the TNT/Dreamworks mini-series, “Into the West.” Tavare played Chief Prairie Fire, a stalwart Cheyenne who bonds with “Naomi” played by Keri Russell (Felicity). The critically acclaimed mini-series starred Josh Brolin, Skeet Ulrich and Beau Bridges and was watched by millions during its broadcast in June 2005. “Into the West” was nominated for a record 16 Emmy Awards. In January 2007, Jay will star opposite Karl Urban in the Phoenix Films/Twentieth Century Fox feature Pathfinder which was directed by Marcus Nispel. Marcus helmed the “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.” Pathfinder, an epic period piece revolves around a Viking child who was raised by A Native tribe.

In 2004, Jay appeared in two of the year’s most anticipated films: Ron Howard's "The Missing" for Sony/Revolution Studios and Anthony Minghella's "Cold Mountain" for Miramax.

He starred opposite Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett as an Apache medicine man, father, and warrior who helps search for kidnappers in "The Missing." In "Cold Mountain," which starred Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renée Zellweger.
Jay played a Cherokee Confederate soldier raised in the mountains of North Carolina of both Native American and Latin descent. His preparation for these films involved weeks of studying the languages, traditions, and ceremonies of the two tribes and his directors on both projects called on his expertise to ensure accurate portrayals of the American Indians of that period.

Prior to “The Missing” and “Cold Mountain,” he was seen as the renegade orchid hunter opposite Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper in Spike Jonze's Academy Award-winning "Adaptation." His show-stopping scene with Streep was one of the most-talked about of this critically-acclaimed film.

Born in the United States, he spent his teenage years in Europe playing percussion and singing in several bands. A brief encounter with European theatre led him to several Royal Command Performances. He choreographed and produced a dance troupe called the Dance Warriors and worked as a club promoter and disc jockey. His first taste of acting was in European commercials.

Returning to the U.S., he landed his first film role in Universal's "Streetfighter," as Vega, the Spanish matador opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme and Raul Julia. The film, based on the popular video game, grossed over $100 million worldwide. Tavare’s next role was as a Middle Eastern terrorist in “Executive Decision” a Warner Brothers film that grossed over $200 million.

With the two action blockbusters under his belt, he returned to his artistic roots with a starring role in the independent romantic drama "Unbowed" (1999) for which he won the Best Actor award at the American Indian Film Festival. Other film credits include "Escape to Grizzly Mountain" and "El Padrino."

At home in Los Angeles, Tavare uses his off-screen hours writing screenplays and non-fiction magazine articles. He is also actively involved in Samoyed and Wolfdog rescue and has a Samoyed of his own.

Jay has adopted several Navajo elders along with a Navajo family from the Adopt-a-Native-Elder program which feeds and supports elderly Navajo on 3 reservations. He stresses to please help our American Indians who are in dire need of food and clothing.

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