TORONTO -- After a decade of trying, Adam Beach has got his act together. He's a happy husband, a proud dad and the determined manager of a career ready to take off.

"It's taken a while, but it has been on my own terms," says Beach on a lunch break here from shooting Helen Lee's romantic comedy The Art Of Woo.

Patience may have been his virtue. Beach recently completed what should be his "break-out" role in Windtalkers, John Woo's big-budget WWII action picture.

Set for release in November, Windtalkers has the former Winnipeg resident, by way of Dog Creek Reservation, playing a Navajo Marine responsible for deciphering crucial U.S. military dispatches in Navajo. The language codes were ones that the Japanese military could not break.

Part historical drama, part shoot 'em up adventure, the film features high-profile stars Nicolas Cage and Christian Slater. But Beach is the focus.

"It was kind of nice to be the central character," admits the affable and modest 29-year-old who wrapped Windtalkers a month ago in Hawaii

"It was also an honour to interpret part of our history that way," he says, referring to his native culture.

Honouring his heritage has been his distinguishing characteristic, although he isn't reverential about image.

Proof is his hilariously droll performance as Kicking Wing in David Spade's recently released farce, Joe Dirt.

Charm, too, is another Beach ingredient, evident way back in his 1993 acting debut on TV's North Of 60 and in the movie, Cadillac Girls. Subsequent Beach portrayals in the films Dance Me Outside, Mystery, Alaska, Smoke Signals and the CBC's The Rez confirmed his talents.

The Art Of Woo should, too. It has Beach playing a talented Toronto native artist who gets involved with the title character, an aggressive self-promoting art dealer, Alessa Woo (defined by MuchMusic VJ Sook-Yin Lee).

"It really is a different look at native people," reports Beach of his Woo part. "He's adopted, comes from a privileged family, but he's tryng to find out what he's about."

Minus the privileged family, the profile fits Beach in an almost biographical way.

"When I left Winnipeg, I wanted to be an actor," he agrees, smiling broadly. "I wanted to lead my own life and remain true to who I was."

It wasn't always easy.

Even Beach acknowledges he might have lost his way on a few occasions, especially when he landed with a thud of disappointment and rejection in L.A. a few years ago.

It took him a while to realize that the flash life and the fancy living provided him with everything he didn't need or really want.

So now he's back, based in Ottawa, with his wife Meredith, doing the dad thing with his two boys, aged five and three. "It's good for me," he says. "It keeps my head on straight."

And he's learning that there is such a thing as a healthy personal and professional life.

"You can't go into this business and stay there blindfolded," he says. "You have to keep building yourself as a person by surrounding yourself with your family and friends."

Beach flashes a disarming smile.

"Yeah," he says triumphantly, "I got into a groove. It's like I found Adam. Actor, father, husband and friend. I'm finally piecing it together."


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