Natalie Benally Biography: Age, Height, Net Worth, Parents, Daughter, Ethnicity, Movies & TV Shows
Natalie Benally is an American actress, dancer, director, choreographer, writer, filmmaker, and Indigenous language advocate who rose to prominence through her performance as Dory in the Navajo-language adaptation of Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo.
She gained wider recognition through her recurring role as Natalie Bluehouse in the AMC television series Dark Winds and her lead performance as Shandiin in the FOX anthology drama Accused.
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Beyond acting, she has built a multidisciplinary career centered on Indigenous storytelling, contemporary dance, filmmaking, language preservation, and cultural advocacy.
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| Wiki Facts & About Data | |
| Name: | Natalie Benally |
| Born: | October 21, 1988 (age 37 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | New Mexico, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity: | Navajo |
| Height: | 1.63 metres |
| Religion: | Native American Traditional Beliefs |
| Parents: | Louise Benally (mother) |
| Children: | A daughter named Lulu |
| Occupation: | Actress, Dancer, Director, Choreographer, Writer, Filmmaker |
| Net Worth: | $1 million |
Early Life and Education
Natalie Benally was born on October 21, 1988, and at 38 years old has established herself as a prominent Diné multidisciplinary artist.
She grew up on the Navajo Reservation in the Fort Wingate area of New Mexico, where she was raised with a strong connection to her cultural heritage.
Benally was born into the Grey Streaked Ends Clan and born for the Red Running into Water Clan, with her maternal family connected to the Zuni Pueblo Clan and her paternal family connected to the Water’s Edge Clan. Her mother is Louise Benally.
Benally developed her interest in performance at an early age despite having limited access to formal arts education in her community. She taught herself dance by using the surrounding landscape as her first training space and later developed skills in hip-hop, popping, and house dance by watching music videos and films.
Her first structured performance experiences came through annual school Christmas plays, which encouraged her to pursue theater and dance more seriously.
She graduated from Wingate High School in 2006 before enrolling at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She studied Theatre with an emphasis on performing and directing and graduated in 2010, becoming a first-generation college graduate in her family.
During her time at college, she trained in acting, singing, dancing, and writing. After completing her degree, she returned to her community and began teaching dance at her former high school before continuing her work with Native contemporary dance and theater.
Personal Life
Natalie Benally is a mother to a daughter named Lulu. Earlier accounts of her personal life describe her raising her daughter while continuing to pursue her work in theater, dance, film, and cultural advocacy.
She keeps much of her private life away from the public spotlight, and there is no reliable current information confirming that she is married or identifying a current spouse or romantic partner.
Career
Natalie Benally began her artistic career through theater and contemporary dance, directing and choreographing productions while also working with Native youth and community arts programs.
Her breakthrough came in 2016 when she provided the Navajo-language voice of Dory in Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo. The project became an important language-preservation effort and introduced her work to a much wider audience.
She later expanded her work into filmmaking and founded Tse’Nato’ as a mixed-media storytelling company focused on amplifying Indigenous voices and representation.
Her work has allowed her to operate across several areas of production, including acting, directing, writing, choreography, producing, and creative development.
Her television profile grew through her recurring role as Natalie Bluehouse in AMC’s Dark Winds. She later appeared as Shandiin in the FOX anthology series Accused, marking one of her leading television performances.
She also appeared in the Netflix film Rez Ball and worked as an art director on Frybread Face and Me.
Benally also directed and executive produced Indigenize the Plate, a documentary project examining Indigenous food systems, culture, and sustainability that received national PBS distribution.
Alongside her creative work, she has taken on arts leadership responsibilities, including serving as Performing Arts Program Manager at the First Peoples Fund, where she works to strengthen opportunities and resources for Native performing artists.
Awards
- First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellowship (2020)
- Senator John Pinto Native American Filmmakers Fund Grant (2021)
Net Worth
Natalie Benally has an estimated net worth of $1 million. Her income is associated with her work as an actress, dancer, choreographer, filmmaker, director, writer, producer, and arts administrator, as well as her involvement in Indigenous storytelling and cultural projects.
Social Media
- Instagram: @natalie_benally
Filmography
- Finding Nemo Navajo Dub (2016)
- Indigenize the Plate (2020)
- Mother’s Day (2021)
- Dark Winds (2022–2026)
- Accused (2023)
- Frybread Face and Me (2023)
- Rez Ball (2024)
- American Primeval (2025)
- Pulse (2025)
- The Final Gathering (2025)
- Echoes of the Canyon (2026)
What People Ask
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