Saginaw Grant, the prolific Native American actor known for 'Breaking Bad,' 'The Lone Ranger,' dead at 85

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Saginaw Grant, a prolific Native American character actor known for roles in "Breaking Bad" and "The Lone Ranger" as well as a hereditary chief of the Sac & Fox Nation of Oklahoma, has died. He was 85.

Grant died peacefully in his sleep of natural causes on Wednesday at a private care facility in Hollywood, California, said Lani Carmichael, Grant’s publicist and longtime friend.

"He loved both Oklahoma and L.A.," Carmichael said. "He made his home here as an actor, but he never forgot his roots in Oklahoma. He remained a fan of the Sooner Nation."

Grant was born on July 20, 1936, in Pawnee, Oklahoma and never forgot his roots in the state.

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Native American actor Saginaw Grant died in July 2021 at age 85.  (Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

He began acting in the late 1980s and played character roles in dozens of movies and television shows over the last three decades, including "The Lone Ranger," "The World’s Fastest Indian" and "Breaking Bad," "Baywatch," "My Name Is Earl," "Saving Grace," "American Horror Story," "Shameless," "Community," "Workaholics" and "Veep," according to Grant's IMDb filmography.

Grant was active for years in the powwow circuit in California and traveled around the globe to speak to people about Native American culture, Carmichael said.

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"His motto in life was always respect one another and don't talk about one another in a negative way," she said.

Variety reports that he was a veteran of the United States Marine Corps who served during the Korean War. As a result, Grant was also active in the Native American veterans community and participated for years in the National Gathering of American Indian Veterans, said Joseph Podlasek, the event's organizer.

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"He thought it was important for Native people to get recognized as veterans," Podlasek said. "He was kind and gentle, and very humble."

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A memorial for Grant will be held in the Los Angeles area, but details haven't been finalized, Carmichael said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.