Sho-Ban tribal member LaShayne Hevewah follows acting dreams
LaShayne Hevewah (bottom left) with cast members on set for "Horizon."
By ROSELYNN YAZZIE
Sho-Ban News
FORT HALL — Look for Shoshone-Bannock tribal member LaShayne Hevewah in two upcoming film productions, including a background role in “Echo” on Disney+ and Kevin Costner’s “Horizon.”
Twenty-one-year-old, Hevewah is a 2019 Blackfoot High School graduate and the son of Valerie Bagley and Robert Lucas Hevewah. He is employed as a drop team member at the Sho-Ban Casino Hotel.
From a young age Hevewah has always had a big imagination and enjoyed performing taking part in musicals in high school.
He was raised by his grandmother, Susan Bagley, who instilled in him the good teachings of sobriety and pride in who he is and where he comes from.
Hevewah sent an audition tape for his role in “Echo” and had to learn Cherokee for the part. When he was selected he was excited to travel for the first time to Georgia, where he did filming in the cities of Atlanta and Jackson. Fellow tribal members Stormie Perdash and Kree Burnette were also a part of the film, which will come out in the summer of 2023.
LaShayne Hevewah in his Apache role.
While there he also got to be next to the same set where “Guardians of the Galaxy 3” was filming.
He came home briefly for the Sho-Ban Festival, then went to Utah to film “Horizon,” where he will play the role of an Apache character.
“Horizon” is a western and will feature actors Sam Worthington and Michael Rooker. Sho-Ban tribal member James Tone is also in the film.
Hevewah had to sign contracts for both productions and can’t disclose too many details about the them.
He said, “Growing up with Marvel and stuff and being a part of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) is a dream come true.”
Additionally, he’s excited about “Horizon,” which is still in pre-production.
While working on the projects he’s also been on the lookout for other acting opportunities and hopes to try out for AMC’s “Dark Winds” starring Zahn McClaron and Kiowa Gordon. As well as the popular Hulu series “Reservation Dogs.”
He’s looking forward to November, when he will model in the Tsande Nadewegahni’ide Fashion Show at the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe Event Center and Hotel.
When not juggling working and acting, Hevewah dedicates his time to CrossFit, which has helped him maintain a healthy lifestyle and aided in his weight loss from 240 lbs. to 192 lbs. He’s also starting dancing Men’s Traditional and his next physical challenge will be to learn to ride a horse.
Hevewah on set with Kevin Costner, director of "Horizon."
Hevewah has his sights set on more movie roles and his goal is to be a role model for youth.
He encourages the new generation to not be shy and to be proud of who they are, especially the young males with long hair. He encourages them to listen to their elders and learn their language, which is something he’s working on. He also enjoys learning from other Native actors and sharing knowledge between tribes.
His advice to hopeful young actors, “Get out of your comfort zone. There’s a big world out there ready to explore. It’s just you have to make the change for the life you want. When the camera is pointing towards you, you can be anyone you want. Imagination is a big thing as a kid, always keep it with you.”
