As the one-year anniversary of the worldwide release of “Killers of the Flower Moon” approaches on Oct. 20, Chad Renfro and Addie Roanhorse sat down with the Osage News to reflect on some of their many experiences over the past seven years.
Little did they know that when Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear appointed them as Ambassadors to the Film their lives would never be the same. Not only did they intensely work with Martin Scorsese’s team and the formidable force that is Apple during the pre- and post-production of the film, but their jobs continued in the planning of premieres, shuttling Osages to and from France, Los Angeles and New York, as well as lobbying for the film during awards season.
They had a part to play in giving the world Lily Gladstone’s Golden Globe for Best Actress, the first Native American woman to do so. They also helped lobby for the twelve Oscar nominations the film received, most notably for Scott George and the Osage Tribal Singers for Best Original Song – and a performance on the world’s biggest stage at the 2024 Oscars.
Renfro is an interior designer and owns his own business, Chad Renfro Designs, and is credited as a Consulting Producer for the film. Roanhorse is a multi-disciplinary artist and is credited as an Art Department Assistant, Assistant Art Director, Graphic Artist and Osage Consultant for the film. She also had a small role in the film as an Osage woman getting her jewelry stolen.
They both shared what it was like attending the Cannes Film Festival, working with Scorsese, and the most memorable moments from their incredible journey. They also would be remiss not to mention all the Osages who took part in the making of the film and who are still working in the film industry now.
Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited lightly for clarity
Osage News: How did you both get involved in the filming and how has it changed things for you in your work?
Addie Roanhorse: I got involved because I’m Henry Roanhorse’s great-great-granddaughter. So I think from the beginning, when I was born, being named after his first wife was, you know … you always have that story with you.
David Grann pops up, and the book obviously took years to get put in place, but we knew it was coming. I was already thinking that as soon as this book comes out, they’re going to start fishing it around to see if somebody wants to make a film out of it. And that’s exactly what happened. I think the biggest thing initially was to get them to film here, because we knew it was going to film no matter what. But, as a descendant, I just couldn’t see it any other way. They needed to come here. They needed to, you know, do all the protocols and go through all the channels properly to make it a cohesive film that everybody was on board with, not just one side.
Chad Renfro: It started off when I saw that the film rights had been sold to the book, and I had a connection with Imperative Entertainment through some clients and friends of mine.
I have a vested interest in making sure that we’re represented properly, that they work with us, etc. And, I was on the [Osage Nation] Foundation Board at the time and it was just something that it kind of lined up, the stars aligned in that respect. I had to leave home to go develop a career somewhere else and work with some people that were ultimately able to put me in touch with the people that had our story in their hands via David Grann’s novel.
I was on the phone in Utica Square with Imperative Entertainment because I sent an email saying, ‘you guys were supposed to reach out to us.’
By February of 2018, John Atwood and Jillian Apfelbaum were here, and Addie and I as Ambassadors were setting up their experience to come out here and get the ball rolling. And so, we had access to them in the beginning. I thought it was a huge responsibility and very humbling that Chief Standing Bear thought that Addie and I would make good Ambassadors to the Nation, and I think that he recognized our willingness to just pick up and go and make it work.
We went over to Grayhorse and met at the Mason’s house, which I had just done the interior design for and made over. We had lunch for them. They met with Billie Ponca and the late Mary Jo Webb and Marvin Stepson and all of the people who were closely related to the book. Addie was there representing her family
And [we] just sat and visited. And it was at that point that Jillian Appelbaum at the time, who was the creative director for Imperative, said, ‘I know I’m not speaking out of turn when I speak for Imperative that this is going to be Mollie’s story somehow.’ And you could see the faces of everyone, regardless of suspicion or concern or worry … there was a tiny little bit of relief.
ON: What did you think when you found out that Martin Scorsese was involved?
Roanhorse: When his name first popped up, I was … I think I’m still in disbelief just because he’s like, one of my favorite all time filmmakers ever. I think I’ve seen almost every film. I knew once he was signed on, I was like, this is going to be really big.
Renfro: I was thrilled that he was the director that wanted to tell our story and that he said instantly, ‘we’re going to make it here.’
I tried to remain through the entire thing not starstruck by anyone. I mostly enjoyed working with Marty’s team and the amazing team at Apple.
ON: I read that there was a choice whether to premiere the movie in Oklahoma or premiere it in Cannes and that there was a decision made that, ‘we wanted to premiere in France, like we wanted to have this world stage.’ When you did hear that it was going to premiere at Cannes, what did you expect?
Roanhorse: I’d never been to France. I’d never been to a film premiere. I’d never done any of that. So I was just like, I honestly was looking at YouTube at previous years. I’m like, ‘what does it look like there?’
As soon as people realized who you were there with, it was like they wanted to know everything, from on the plane flying over to while we were in France and we made friends while we were there, all the servers knew who we were.
I think it was a little bit more powerful there only because I was surrounded by thousands of international people. When I sat in my seat [the people there] we started talking about my connection and throughout the entire film, when something bad would happen, all of them would all reach over and like either hold my hand or grab my arm.
Then as we were being led out in the escalators … there were so many people, like, exiting the building. And all I could think about was all of these people have Osage in their brain right now. Like, it’s inside. Like I can say I’m Osage and everyone’s going to know what that means, you know?
Renfro: It was a surreal experience. I walked up the red carpet and into the theater and sat there and watched the film and walked out and went to the after-party. And it’s like I just leapt through time because really, I don’t recall anything after getting out of that car at the after-party. It’s not something that I ever pictured myself doing. I was happy to be there representing and doing my best and making sure that, for instance, that they said a prayer before we left the hotel. When they ordinarily do a toast, Talee Redcorn said a prayer and then everybody started to proceed to the theater. It was those types of things.
ON: I think everybody knew that [it] was going to get some Oscar nominations. But then when that was announced, what did you think?
Roanhorse: I mean, obviously you want to get nominated, but it’s just always touch and go with that industry.
Also watching Lily [Gladstone] just gracefully, like rush through the whole process, like it was a Tuesday … like she just was so eloquent. I could listen to her speak forever. She said something about I’m just a spirit, living a human experience. And I was like, are you a poet?
Renfro: Twelve Academy Award nominations. The most important one to me was our Best Original Song. During our process of the awards and going and lobbying the votes … every opportunity that I was afforded by Apple to go and promote the film and or Marty and his team-that’s who I spoke for. I obviously spoke for the film as a whole, but I spoke for Scott George and that song.
Roanhorse: This film was not for us. We know this story. It wasn’t for me. I know the story in my mind. The story was so that other people could actually hear it because that’s been the ongoing thing for the last hundred years.
ON: What is the thing that you think about the most after all of these experiences?
Roanhorse: After seven years of being the main focus of everything I’ve done … I mean, I learned so much, I can’t even, like, really put it into words how much. Just with my craft, with understanding that my voice … it does matter. And people actually do listen and it’s okay to speak up. But it’s again – it keeps popping up. But, I feel like I’m going to be unraveling this for the rest of my life.
Renfro: The lingering thought is continuing to make the most of it. It was an amazing opportunity for so many people and to not let it fade away and to keep pushing forward.
