Steve Reevis was born on August 14, 1962, in Browning, Montana, to Lloyd Curley and Lila Reevis. He was the fourth of six children and grew up on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in northwestern Montana.

He attended Flandreau Indian School in South Dakota and later Haskell Indian Junior College in Lawrence, Kansas, where he earned an associate of arts degree.

Steve Reevis began his film career as a stunt rider in the 1987 film "War Party" alongside his brother, Tim. His first acting role came in 1988 with a part in "Twins," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.

He gained further recognition with a non-speaking role as a Sioux Warrior in the 1990 film "Dances with Wolves." In 1993, he portrayed Chato, an Apache scout, in "Geronimo: An American Legend," sharing the screen with fellow Native American actor Wes Studi.

His portrayal of Shep Proudfoot in the 1996 film "Fargo" remains one of his most acclaimed performances. That same year, he appeared in the television movie "Crazy Horse." His contributions to both projects earned him awards from First Americans in the Arts (FAITA) in 1996.

He received another FAITA honor in 2004 for his work on the ABC series "Line of Fire." Other notable films include "Last of the Dogmen" (1995), "The Missing" (2003), and "The Longest Yard" (2005).

In 1991, Steve Reevis married Macile, a member of the Choctaw tribe, an artist, and a clothing designer. Together, they lived in Morongo Valley, California, and the Missoula, Montana, area and had four children together.

He died on December 7, 2017, of undisclosed causes in Missoula, at the age of 55. At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife, their children, and three grandchildren.