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Michael Spears

Michael Spears

Actor · Born December 28, 1977 (48) · Chamberlain, South Dakota, USA

Michael Spears (born December 28, 1977) is an Indigenous American actor. He is a member of the Kul Wičaša Lakota from the Lower Brulé Sioux Tribe of South Dakota.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 28, 1977 (48)
From
Chamberlain, South Dakota, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
16 on MovieCove · 25 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 12% in 30 days

What are Michael Spears' films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Survival.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
26%
Survival
23%
Power
21%
Self
13%
Society
11%
Bonds
6%
Justice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTradition vs change2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 6 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 0 · Serious 3 · Dark 3

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 3 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 2 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 1 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 0

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 2 · Heavy 3

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Shadow
1 of 3
Herald
1 of 3
Mentor
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Dread
3
Melancholic
3
Hopeful
2
Contemplative
1
Other
3

How their films linger

Hopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Michael Spears' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 13 of their 16 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Michael Spears' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

25 credits, 16 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Sitting Bull(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · as Sitting Bull

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • You Can't Run Forever(2024)

    as Ranger Stevens

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • 1923(2022)

    Show 10 episodes · as Runs His Horse

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Year of the Dog(2022)

    as Fred

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Sacrifice Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Actor

  • 1883(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Comanche Trader

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Reservation Dogs(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Danny

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Ballad of Lefty Brown(2017)

    as Biscuit

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Z Nation(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Black Hoof

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows

  • Winter in the Blood(2013)

    as Raymond Long Knife

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Activist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Bud 'One Bull' Ward

  • Angels in Stardust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Tenkill

  • Guns, Girls and Gambling(2012)

    as Redfoot

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Longmire(2012)

    Show 1 episode · as Mica Dullknife

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • Yellow Rock(2011)

    as Broken Wing

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy(2011)

    as Kutseena

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Shadowheart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Washakie

  • Imprint(2007)

    as Tom Greyhorse

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Into the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 6 episodes · as Dog Star

  • Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee(1994)

    as Stat Man

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The Broken Chain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Young Lohaheo

  • The Broken Cord (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Adam 2

  • Dances with Wolves(1990)

    as Otter

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Ghostkiller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Shakopee

  • The Red Man's View (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    as Silver Eagle

Career shape

Star power in the 83rd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 25 titles, 23 of them dated from 1990 to 2025; peak year 1990.

Biggest box office

You Can't Run Forever (2024)

$126K worldwide

Highest rated

The Ballad of Lefty Brown (2017)

Midcredits 56th

Most popular right now

You Can't Run Forever (2024)

Film career

19902025

Peak 1990 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting25 of 25: 25 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score57th

By decade

1990s4 · acting2000s3 · acting2010s9 · acting2020s7 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Michael Spears' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 44th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 6 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 40th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

40thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 6

Midcredits score across 16 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 16 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved5
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

The Legend of Hell's Gate: An American Conspiracy (2011)

83rd percentile spread · 53% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the acting 62/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 78, detractors 39. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.