See me in Into the West

I'm in the movie Into the West, a 6-week mini-series produced by TNT. (Steven Spielberg is Executive Producer.) Here’s some information about it and about how to find me. (Note that any or all of my scenes could end up being cut out of the movie by the editor.)

Is this Spiritual Cinema? You decide for yourself. I think it is for a variety of reasons. We can talk about it after it’s been shown, if you’d like.

Let me know if you watch it. I think it’s going to be great (and not just because I'm in it).

If you know of anyone else who might like to have this information, feel free to pass it along to them.

Warmly,
Michael John Gabriel

Into the West takes place throughout the 1800s and is the story of the movement of white settlers from the east into the west and the clash of cultures that occurs between the white folks and the Indians. It is told from the points of view of one white family and one Lakota Sioux family. As they interact, the 2 families intermarry. This is supposed to be the most accurate portrayal of what really happened that has ever been filmed. It isn’t like any Western you’ve ever seen, and I don’t even call it a Western.

To learn a lot about Into the West, see the web site: http://intothewest.com

Into the West Schedule:
The movie will be shown on TNT (whatever channel that is on your system in your area; in Santa Fe on cable, it’s channel 28).
Apparently every episode will be shown 5 times in a weekend. Check your TV schedule to confirm the information below.

Episode 1: Wheel to the Stars (filmed in Alberta, Canada):
Friday, June 10 – 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
Saturday, June 11 – 8 e/7 c
Sunday, June 12 – 6 e/5 c; 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
I am NOT in this episode.

Episode 2: Manifest Destiny (filmed in Alberta, Canada):
Friday, June 17 – 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
Saturday, June 18 – 8 e/7 c
Sunday, June 19 – 6 e/5 c; 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
I am NOT in this episode.

Episode 3: Dreams & Schemes (filmed in Alberta, Canada):
Friday, June 24 – 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
Saturday, June 25 – 8 e/7 c
Sunday, June 26 – 6 e/5 c; 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
I am NOT in this episode.

Episode 4: Hell on Wheels (filmed in New Mexico):
Friday, July 8 – 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
Saturday, July 9 – 8 e/7 c
Sunday, July 10 – 6 e/5 c; 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
In this episode, look for me as:
1. One of the Irish railroad workers. There may be close-ups of me, especially during the scene when Chinese railroad workers are setting dynamite on the mountainside. A close-up of me was shot during that scene anyway. One of the photos I’ve attached is of that scene. The other was also while I was playing this character.
2. A townsperson in North Platte. I'll be in the background a lot. You may see me greeting people as they get off the train, walking around town, standing and watching Custer’s cavalry riding up to the saloon, etc.
3. A drunk in the saloon. I get dragged off the stage by the ear by a woman who is playing my wife. That will probably be in the background.
4. A railroad dignitary at the Promontory Point ceremonies when the eastern and western railroads meet and the golden spike is driven. I'm just off to the right (their right) of the principals (described in the next sentence) during the spike driving ceremony. When the photo is taken of the 2 trains with all the people in front of them, I am directly behind Glen Powell Jr. (Jackson Wheeler), a blond young man who plays one of the Wheeler family (the white settlers), and to the left of Lance Henrikson who plays Glen’s father and who is one of the main characters at that point in the film.

Episode 5: Casualties of War (filmed in New Mexico):
Friday, July 15 – 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
Saturday, July 16 – 8 e/7 c
Sunday, July 17 – 6 e/5 c; 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
I am NOT in this episode.

Episode 6: Ghost Dance (filmed in New Mexico):
Friday, July 22 – 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
Saturday, July 23 – 8 e/7 c
Sunday, July 24 – 6 e/5 c; 8 e/7 c; 10 e/9 c
In this episode, look for me as:
1. A foot soldier approaching and entering the Pine Ridge Reservation.
2. A soldier at the Pine Ridge Reservation. Especially look for me guarding the Indians who are being returned to the reservation by the Buffalo soldiers and again guarding the Indians who are concerned when they hear the sounds of the shooting going on at Wounded Knee.
3. A freighter (someone who carries dead bodies) all through the “clean-up” of the Wounded Knee massacre. In the scene when Margaret Light Shines (I think that’s who it is) is walking the field looking at all the bodies at Wounded Knee, look for me crossing the screen carrying a body with another of the freighters. During the scene when all the bodies are being buried in a big hole, look for me digging in the big pile of dirt to the right of the hole. I'll also be in the background carrying bodies a lot.