Indy (dog)

Indy
SpeciesCanis familiaris
BreedNova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever
SexMale
OccupationDog actor
Years active2025–present
OwnersBen Leonberg, Kari Fischer
Named afterIndiana Jones

Indy (born c. 2017) is a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever dog actor best known for his role in the 2025 film Good Boy. The film role earned Indy the prize for Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller at the 9th Astra Film Awards, the first time an animal was recognized in a category that had previously been reserved for human talent.

Life and career

Indy is owned by Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer, with Leonberg first receiving Indy in 2017.[1] Leonberg named him after the Indiana Jones film series.[2][3]

Indy made his debut playing a fictionalized version of himself in the 2025 film Good Boy, written by Leonberg and produced by Fischer.[4] Indy had no formal acting training prior to the film, and Leonberg originally did not picture Indy as the lead while writing.[5] However, he described Indy as having an "intense, unblinking stare" and expressive movements that he thought would make him a good fit for the role.[6] Leonberg conceived the idea for a supernatural horror film framed from a dog's perspective after re-watching the 1982 film Poltergeist.[5] Leonberg also cited the 1980 film The Shining as an influence for Good Boy, noting that both films question whether the characters' seemingly supernatural experiences are genuine or products of their psychological state, and feature endings open to interpretation.[7][8] A stuffed replica of Indy, which Leonberg nicknamed 'Findy', was used as a stand-in for Indy when setting up various shots of the film and performing stunts.[9]

As a lead, Indy's performance received an abundance of positive reviews from critics.[10][11] Rendy Jones of Den of Geek likened Indy's performance to the title character of the animated comedy horror series Courage the Cowardly Dog.[12][13] Nominated for Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller for his performance at the 9th Astra Film Awards, Indy made film awards history as he is now the first canine to be nominated for a major film acting category that had previously recognized only human talent.[14][15] Indy ultimately won the award; though not in attendance, Leonberg accepted the award via an acceptance speech video, with Indy by his side, which was published on the Astra Awards YouTube channel the following day.[16][17]

Filmography

Year Title Role Director Notes
2025 Good Boy Himself Ben Leonberg Indy's film debut[4]

Awards and nominations

Award Date of ceremony Category Result Ref.
Astra Film Awards January 9, 2026 Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller Won [17]
Austin Film Critics Association December 18, 2025 Special Award[a] Won [18]
Boston Society of Film Critics December 14, 2025 Best in Show (Best Animal Performance) Won [19]
San Diego Film Critics Society December 15, 2025 Special Award: Best Animal Performance Won [20]
Seattle Film Critics Society December 15, 2025 Special Citation[b] Won [21]
South by Southwest Film & TV Festival March 12, 2025 Howl of Fame Award (Best Canine Performance) Won [22]
  1. ^ For a uniquely realized performance in the field of animal acting.
  2. ^ For achievements in animal acting.

References

  1. ^ VanHoose, Benjamin (October 3, 2025). "Meet Good Boy Actor Indy: He's a Movie Star, but His 'True Favorite Pastime Is Napping' (Exclusive)". People. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  2. ^ Beer, Frankie (April 16, 2025). "That's a 'Good Boy': Montana State professor and his dog Indy win award for horror film". Bozeman Daily Chronicle. Montana, United States. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  3. ^ George, Joe; Crow, David (March 17, 2025). "Meet Indy the Dog and Star of Wildly Original Horror Movie Good Boy". Den of Geek. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  4. ^ a b Robinson, Theresa (October 3, 2025). "The Real-Life Bond Behind the Scares of 'Good Boy' Movie". American Kennel Club. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  5. ^ a b Huff, Lauren (September 24, 2025). "See the lengths 'Good Boy' filmmakers went to get just 8 seconds of footage for dog-centered horror film (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  6. ^ Martin, Laura (October 3, 2025). "'His intense, unblinking stare is perfect': The dog-centred horror led by a new canine acting 'superstar'". BBC Culture. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  7. ^ Kuperinsky, Amy (October 2, 2025). "N.J. director's 'Good Boy,' a new horror movie with loads of hype, stars his own dog". NJ.com. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  8. ^ Miller, Ayanna (October 9, 2025). "'Good Boy' Directors Break Down that Devastating Ending". Today.com. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  9. ^ "Meet breakout canine star of horror, 'Good Boy'". Associated Press. October 9, 2025. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  10. ^ Lee, Benjamin (October 2, 2025). "Good Boy review – crafty supernatural horror leads with a heroic dog". The Guardian. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  11. ^ Motamayor, Rafael (September 29, 2025). "'Good Boy' Review: A Sweet and Scary Horror Movie Told Entirely from the Dog's Point of View". IndieWire. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  12. ^ Jones, Rendy (October 3, 2025). "Good Boys and Girls: The Very Best Movie and TV Dogs". Den of Geek. Dennis Publishing. Retrieved October 21, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  13. ^ LaSalle, Mick (October 1, 2025). "'Good Boy' review: Why you'll never look at dogs the same after watching this horror movie". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  14. ^ Smith, Jeff (November 26, 2025). "What Good Boy Star Indy the Dog Just Achieved Has Never Happened in Major Movie History". Men's Journal. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  15. ^ McClelland, Tim (November 28, 2025). "Canine Star of Good Boy Makes Movie History with Nomination". MovieWeb. Retrieved December 30, 2025.
  16. ^ Indy the Dog wins Best Performance in a Horror or Thriller Feature for Good Boy | Astra Film Awards. The Astra Awards. January 10, 2026. Retrieved January 11, 2026 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ a b Hughes, William (January 10, 2026). "Actual humans Ethan Hawke and Alison Brie beaten for acting award by the Good Boy dog". AV Club. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  18. ^ Whittaker, Richard (December 18, 2025). "One Battle After Another Tops Austin Film Critics Association Awards • The Austin Chronicle". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  19. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 14, 2025). "Boston Society of Film Critics (BSFC) Awards: 'Sinners' Tops for Best Film, Director". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  20. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 16, 2025). "San Diego Film Critics Society (SDFCS) Awards: 'Sinners' Tops in Picture, Director, Actor". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  21. ^ Anderson, Erik (December 15, 2025). "Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Awards: 'One Battle After Another' Rules with 8 Wins". AwardsWatch. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  22. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (October 12, 2025). "Toss That 'Good Boy' A Bone As IFC Thriller Sits, Stays In Top 10 – Specialty Box Office". Deadline. Retrieved January 11, 2026.
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