Celebrity Biographies
August Schellenberg
August Schellenberg played the oceanographic employee Randolph Johnson, watchman for the whale protagonist of “Free Willy!”. The Canadian actor has died at his residence in Dallas (Texas), after a long battle against lung cancer.
Born on July 25, 1936 in Montreal, August Schellenberg was part of the Métis ethnic group, which comes from the miscegenation between the Indians and the first settlers in the country.
He made his film debut as an Indian in Rip-Off, a completely forgotten drama from 1971. Since then he has regularly starred on screen in titles like The Wild Hunt , alongside the hard-hitting Lee Marvin and Charles Bronson . He did some of his best work in Black Cloak , directed in 1991 by Bruce Beresford, about a Jesuit relocating to the Quebec wilderness. He played Chomina, an Indian who advocated peaceful coexistence with the white man.
In Free Willy! His character, Randolph, was characterized by his kindness, to the point that he helped the protagonist save the whale. He reprized in the sequels, Free Willy! 2 and Free Willy 3. The Rescue .
He played one of his best roles in Terrence Malick ‘s The New World , where he was Chief Powhatan, father of Pocahontas. He is survived by his wife, fellow actress Joan Karasevich. The marriage had 3 daughters.