Miles Morrisseau
ICT
Billy Merasty is an Indigenous acting icon.
The Cree actor has been on theatre stages, TV and movie screens for more than 40 years, and remains as active as ever.
He can currently be seen in theaters across Canada in the award-winning film, “Nika and Madison,” with a role that won him the best supporting actor award at the Red Nation Film Festival. He can also be seen and streamed in the popular comedy series, “Acting Good,” where he plays radio DJ Roger Laughingstick.
Without cliché, Merasty has seen it all, a witness to and active participant driving the evolution of Indigenous representation since the 1980s.
“It’s very exciting when you work with other Native people and you’re dealing with a Native story and it’s written and directed by a Native person,” Merasty told ICT from his home in Toronto.
“It makes such a huge difference,” he said. “And the camaraderie on set is very friendly and it’s always exciting. And then you get to meet people that you hadn’t worked with on set as well … It goes beyond the acting profile.”
“Nika and Madison,” dubbed an “Indigenous Thelma and Louise” by director Eva Thomas, tells the story of two women who go on the run after fighting back against the abuse of authority by police. It made its international premiere on Sept. 7, 2025, at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In addition to Merasty’s award, the film won four other awards at the Red Nation Film Festival: Best Picture and Best Director, Outstanding lead performance by Ellyn Jade, and Best Original Screenly by Michael McGowan and Eva Thomas.
Finding inspiration
Merasty came up in the first wave of Indigenous people taking ownership and control of their own stories in Canada in the mid-1980s, and it was in theatre where the seeds were first planted and bloomed. It was something that he was able to witness from a familial connection.
“Starting off in theater, that’s when things got very exciting,” he said. “And when Tomson Highway, who’s my uncle, my mother’s brother, younger brother, when he came out with the first play, I remember sitting in the audience watching ‘The Rez Sisters’ and just being thrilled and filled with excitement,” Merasty said.
Legendary Cree actor and writer Billy Merasty is having the time of his life in the role of radio personality Roger Laughingstick in the Canadian hit comedy TV series, “Acting Good.” The series, which kicked off with season one in 2022, became the top-ranked series on Comedy TV Channel, which is the top entertainment specialty channel in Canada. Credit: Photo courtesy CTV
“I remember that feeling of joy and exhilaration and total excitement, and knowing I was watching something very special taking place in front of me,” he said.
Merasty then performed in Highway’s follow up play, “Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing,” alongside Gary Farmer, Graham Greene and Indigenous actors. The play existed in the same universe as “The Rez Sisters” but focused on men.
It would become a commercial and critical hit and an inspiration for Indigenous creatives in theater and beyond.
“I got to be involved in the brother play, ‘Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing,’ and I got to be in the cast. So I got to see the audience from that angle, from the stage and working for the audience. So the journey has been exciting,” Merasty said. “Native Theatre has certainly contributed to the rise of Indigenous theatre, including film, and I’m very proud and glad to be part of it.”
‘Being Native’
It has been a long journey, and one that inspires Indigenous artists from all corners of the country.
Merasty was born and raised in the isolated northern Cree community of Brochet, Manitoba. The community is nearly 600 miles north of Winnipeg near the Saskatchewan border, and is only accessible by winter road, boat or bush plane.
Merasty followed the path broken by his uncles, Tomson Highway, who became one of Canada’s most renowned playwrights, and Rene Highway, who was leader in the contemporary Indigenous dance movement.
The 2024 feature film, “Aberdeen,” co-written and co-directed by filmmakers Eva Thomas and Ryan Cooper, stars Gail Maurice, left, as the title character, along with Billy Merasty, center, and Liam Stewart-Kanigan. It tells the story of an Indigenous climate refugee forced to relocate to Winnepeg. Credit: Photo courtesy of Eva Thomas
He continues to be inspired by his upbringing and sharing his first language, Cree, with the world.
“It’s very important to speak Cree for me,” he said. “Being Native is what nurtured me from the beginning. And it started in my own culture, in my own language, in my own family. And I’m very proud of my family. Very, extremely proud.”
He learns as he goes.
“As an actor, I’ve been asked to work in Cherokee, in Ojibwe, and in several different languages and along the way to discover the similarities of languages that fall under the Algonquin family languages,” he said, “which makes my job easier because there’s also already a familiarity in the language.”
The award-winning film “Nika and Madison,” the solo directorial debut by co-writer Eva Thomas, Walpole Island First Nation – began a theatrical run in Canada on March 20 and will be seen on the big screen until the middle of April.
Merasty has appeared in both feature films directed by Thomas and has been greatly impressed by her talent.
“I’m developing quite the relationship with her as an actor and her being a director and producer,” he said. “And it’s actually thrilling to have that kind of work relationship with someone who can write extremely well and produce, raise money and direct something brilliantly.”
Eva Thomas is also writer for the TV series, “Acting Good,” and the film, “Aberdeen.”
“I just adore her,” Merasty said. “She’s an incredible talent. … She’s going to be recognized as a huge director. One of the number-one directors in Canada, like David Cronenberg — that incredibly talented.”
Humor is essential
Once again, Merasty is part of another wave of Indigenous storytelling in Canada, with the popularity of comedy gaining support with the success of “Acting Good” and the Inuit-focused sitcom, “North of North.”
He believes humor is an essential component in Indigenous resiliency.
“Acting Good” is one of the top-rated comedies now in Canada, and Merasty’s performance as the philosophical and sometimes over-the-top radio DJ Roger Laughingstick stands out among the ensemble cast.
Although gregarious and full of laughter off stage, he has only recently begun to showcase his comedic acting chops.
“I considered myself a serious actor starting off in theater and doing a lot of serious plays. So it was very rare that I did comedy, but for ‘Acting Good,’ the secret for me is in the writing because it’s written by Indigenous comedians,” Merasty said. “All I have to do is just say the words. And as soon as I say the words, I just transform and I give in, totally throw myself into the work and it’s so fun being considered a comedian now.”
He’s enjoying the experience.
“If we didn’t have that humor to release all the negative stuff that we experienced, if we didn’t have that outlet, that sense of humor, I think things would be different,” he said. “But that ability to laugh, to laugh at ourselves, with ourselves, with other people and to release. Laughter releases a lot of stuff, not just joy, but a lot of stuff.”
Looking ahead
As the Indigenous creative industry grows, so does participation in all aspects of the business.
“These days there’s a lot more people now involved in the film business,” he said. “They’re involved in costuming. They’re involved in different positions of post-production. There’s a lot more Indigenous people now involved, not only in front of the camera, but behind the camera, makeup artists, hairdressers, and people doing production. It’s thrilling to see that business grow.”
After four decades of performance, Merasty continues to be inspired by the Indigenous community.
“I’m thrilled to hear from Indigenous people telling me how much they love the show and how funny it is and how silly it can be,” he said. “But I enjoy hearing from the Indigenous community because for the most part, I try to contribute to my art because of my community/
“When my community says very positive and encouraging stuff, I only want to continue doing what I do.”
More info
Watch in Theaters | ‘Nika and Madison’
March 20: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Halifax and Terrace, British Columbia
March 26: The Sudbury Indie Cinema in Sudbury
March 27-31: VIFF Cinema, in Vancouver, British Columbia
April 15: Metro Cinema in Edmonton, Alberta
Watch Video On Demand | ‘Nika and Madison’
April 10: Available on all major platforms for rent or purchase including AppleTV, Amazon, Google Play and Bell/Rogers/Telus Cable VOD
Watch on Television and Streaming Platforms | ‘Acting Good’
APTN, CTV Comedy Network, Crave, CTV, Apple TV and TUBI.
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