Summary
- Tanaya Beatty has proven her incredible talent as an actress through her various roles in American and Canadian productions, spanning across genres like drama, science fiction, western, and more.
- Beatty's first-ever acting role in "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1" showcased her talent as she held her own against A-list actors like Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson.
- Beatty's performances in shows like "Arctic Air," "The Night Shift," and films like "God's Country" and "Bones of Crows" demonstrate her ability to play complex and emotionally powerful characters, delivering captivating performances even in limited screen time.
While Tanaya Beatty may be best known for playing Avery in Taylor Sheridan's Paramount series Yellowstone, her roles in various other movies and TV shows have proven her incredible talents as an actress. Beatty's first-ever acting role was as Rachel Black in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1, and while it was relatively minor, the success of Breaking Dawn - Part 1 allowed her to break into the film and TV industry and find bigger and better projects.
Since then, Beatty has played both leading and supporting roles in various American and Canadian productions that have allowed her to flex her acting muscles. Whether it be a quiet character drama, a science fiction body horror film, or a Western saga, Beatty has dabbled in all genres and found great success every time. One of her next projects will be a science-fiction film called In the Blink of an Eye in which she will appear alongside A-list actresses like Kate McKinnon and Rashida Jones (via Deadline). However, before that film gets released, viewers can watch some of Tanaya Beatty's other best movies and shows.
10 The 100 (2014 - 2020)
- Stream on Netflix
Based on the Kass Morgan novel series of the same name, The 100 is a CW series that follows a group of juvenile delinquents forced to return to Earth devastated by a nuclear apocalypse with the task of repopulating the world. In the show's second season, Tanaya Beatty plays a character named Mel who survives a crash landing. With the help of the main characters, she is able to arrive at Camp Jaha and get medical attention. While a reasonably short-lived role, it still showcases how talented Beatty is at playing both physically and emotionally powerful characters.
9 The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn Part 1 (2011)
- Stream on DirecTV
The penultimate entry of the Twilight movie franchise, Breaking Dawn Part 1 begins with Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward (Robert Pattinson) getting married, but suddenly after their honeymoon, Bella becomes pregnant with a child that is killing her from the inside. Tanaya Beatty plays Rachel Black, a member of the Quileute tribe and Jacob's (Taylor Lautner) older sister, and the movie explores their deep sibling bond. The fact that this is Beatty's very first role showcases just how talented she would later become as she holds her own against many A-list actors of the franchise such as Stewart and Pattinson.
8 Arctic Air (2012 - 2014)
- Stream on Tubi, Freevee, and The Roku Channel
Arctic Air is a Canadian drama series that explores the professional and personal lives of a family who owns an airline in Yellowknife. The show became popular for its intricately-made flying sequences that would be featured in every episode. Tanaya Beatty plays a character named Caitlin Janvier, a woman from a rough environment who moves to Yellowknife looking for a fresh start. She gets a job at the family airline and quickly becomes a crucial employee. This is one of Beatty's best roles as she proves she is able to keep up with various established Canadian actors on the show like Adam Beach and Pascale Hutton.
7 The Night Shift (2014 - 2017)
- Rent or buy on Apple TV
Sharing many similar elements with the best seasons of Grey's Anatomy, The Night Shift follows a group of doctors and nurses working the late night shift at a San Antonio Texas emergency room. Tanaya Beatty plays Shannon Rivera, a doctor who loves committing pranks when she's not busy saving lives. This is one of Beatty's best characters because while Shannon comes across as carefree and joyous, it is later revealed that she had drug problems when she was a teenager but later buckled down and attended medical school, creating an incredibly complex character that Beatty excels at playing.
6 God's Country (2022)
- Stream on Hulu and AMC+
Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, God's Country is an intense thriller that tells the story of a university professor from New Orleans named Sandra (Thandiwe Newton) who now lives in Montana. One day, she finds hunters trespassing on her property, and when they continue threatening her and the police are unable to help, Sandra must take matters into her own hands. Tanaya Beatty plays Gretchen, one of Sandra's students who looks up to the professor and eventually helps Sandra defend her home from the hunters. While not a sizable role, it is an excellent showcase of Beatty's talented ability to play quiet, understated characters.
5 Bones of Crows (2022)
- Unavailable to stream
Bones of Crows is a heartbreaking yet powerful drama about a Cree woman named Aline Spears (Grace Dove) who, along with several other Cree children, is forced to attend a Canadian Indian residential school. After surviving the brutal conditions of the school, Aline later becomes a code talker and aids the Canadian Air Force in World War II. Tanaya Beatty plays a character named Taylor Whallach who attends the school with Aline. While her role is fairly brief, she is able to communicate so much emotion and desperation within the limited screen time she has, making this one of her best roles.
4 Through Black Spruce (2018)
- Stream on Redbox, Vudu, and Freevee
Based on the novel of the same name by Joseph Boyden, Through Black Spruce follows Annie Bird (Tanaya Beatty), a Cree woman who launches an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of her twin sister Suzanne, who was last seen in Toronto. With the help of her hunter uncle Will (Brandon Oakes), Annie undergoes an intense and dangerous journey to find out what happened to Suzanne. This is easily one of Beatty's best roles as it is one of the few projects in which she stars the main protagonist, and throughout the film, she proves that she is more than capable of being a leading star.
3 Crimes of the Future (2022)
- Stream on Hulu
From legendary horror director David Cronenberg, Crimes of the Future is set in a futuristic world in which human evolution has progressed incredibly fast and follows two performance artists named Saul and Caprice (Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux) who perform bizarre surgery in front of a group of spectators. Tanaya Beatty plays Berst, a woman who works behind the scenes of the surgery spectacle and makes sure everything is fully functional. While a fairly small role, it is one of her best as she proves she's in league with A-list actors like Mortensen, Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart.
2 Hostiles (2017)
- Stream on Hulu and Starz
Helmed by Crazy Heart and Black Mass director Scott Cooper, Hostiles is an intense Western drama that follows a U.S. Army captain named Joseph J. Blocker (Christian Bale) who must safely escort Cheyenne leader Chief Yellow Hawk (Wes Studi) back to his home in Montana to be with his family as he is suffering from a sickly condition. Tanaya Beatty plays Yellow Hawk's daughter, Living Woman, and this is easily one of her best roles because she plays an incredibly deep and interesting character with commanding screen presence amidst a slew of Hollywood heavyweights.
1 Yellowstone (2018 - Present)
- Stream on Peacock
Created by Taylor Sheridan and John Linson, Yellowstone is an epic neo-Western that follows the Dutton family, led by John Dutton III, who owns the titular Montana ranch and gets involved in several conflicts with the Broken Rock Indian reservation and the Yellowstone National Park. Tanaya Beatty plays Avery, a ranch hand who works at the Dutton ranch who confesses to Kayce (Luke Grimes) that she is in love with him, but he immediately rejects her because he only loves Monica (Kelsey Asbille). This is Beatty's best performance as this is not only arguably her most recognizable role but is able to create a memorable character despite her limited appearance.