<P> William `` Will '' Sampson , Jr . ( September 27 , 1933 -- June 3 , 1987 ) was a Native American painter , actor , and rodeo performer . He is best known for his performance as the apparent deaf and mute Native American `` Chief Bromden '' in the Academy Award winning film , One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest , as `` Worm '' in the 1977 Charles Bronson western The White Buffalo , as well as his role as `` Taylor '' in Poltergeist II : The Other Side and `` Ten Bears '' in the Clint Eastwood 1976 classic The Outlaw Josey Wales . </P>
<P> William `` Will '' Sampson , Jr . ( September 27 , 1933 -- June 3 , 1987 ) was a Native American painter , actor , and rodeo performer . He is best known for his performance as the apparent deaf and mute Native American `` Chief Bromden '' in the Academy Award winning film , One Flew Over the Cuckoo 's Nest , as `` Worm '' in the 1977 Charles Bronson western The White Buffalo , as well as his role as `` Taylor '' in Poltergeist II : The Other Side and `` Ten Bears '' in the Clint Eastwood 1976 classic The Outlaw Josey Wales . </P>
who played the indian in one flew over the cuckoo 's nest
who played the indian in one flew over the cuckoo 's nest
William `` Will '' Sampson , Jr .
William `` Will '' Sampson , Jr .