05/12/2023
Muscogee actor Will (Sonny) Sampson, who is most known for his role in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest” playing opposite Jack Nicholson, will be posthumously inducted into the Oklahoma Movie Hall of Fame at the Roxy Theater in Muskogee Oklahoma.
"Will was a dear friend, as was his son Tim and sister. Am happy that he is receiving this honor today. I had the privilege to work with Will in the mini-series 'Mystic Warrior' (1984). He gave me advice while working on this series. I was set to have the lead role and Will was to be cast as the medicine man. What happened was ABC ended up casting the lead role to an Irish actress, dyed her hair black and put contact lenses in and Will's character went to an Italian actor.' Will was a kind man and very supportive of my work. In 1983, he founded the American Indian Registry for the Performing Arts for Native American actors." - Joanelle Romero (RNCI Founder/actress/director/producer)
In addition to his incredible performance as the apparent deaf and mute Chief Bromden in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,” he also played Crazy Horse in the 1977 western “The White Buffalo,” as well as Taylor in “Poltergeist II: The Other Side” and Ten Bears in 1976's “The Outlaw Josey Wales.”For 20 years Sonny competed in rodeos, his specialty being bronco busting. He was also an artist, his artwork has been shown at the Gilcrease Museum and the Philbrook Museum of Art.During the filming of “The White Buffalo,” Sonny halted production by refusing to act when he discovered that!
