Biography
Most readily recognized as the fearsome villain Zero Wolf in Mel Gibson's bloody Mayan epic "Apocalypto," Raoul Trujillo is native to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has Apache and Ute heritage. A former US Army soldier, he is also a choreographer and dancer, who has performed and toured with the Alwin Nikolais Dance Theatre and the American Indian Dance Theatre. His work as a dance instructor has taken him all over the world, teaching both the Nikolais technique, and his own approach, which combines elements of Nikolais with native American traditions and yoga. Celebrated by tattoo enthusiasts for for his extensive body art, Trujillo is an imposing figure onscreen, most often cast as a native warrior of the past or a shady hard man of the present. He made a particularly striking appearance in Terrence Malick's 2005 film version of the story of Captain John Smith and Pocahontas, "The New World," as native priest and interpreter Tomocomo. Trujillo gained further new fans via a role in the hit television horror series "True Blood," as vampire bartender Longshadow. He also appeared as the South Pacific islander Queequeg in a TV miniseries version of Herman Melville's classic "Moby Dick," alongside William Hurt and Ethan Hawke. Trujillo is married to photographer Iscah Carey.
