Graham Greene, the Oscar-nominated actor who helped open doors for Indigenous actors in Hollywood, died Monday in Toronto after battling a long illness, Deadline and others report. The Canadian actor was 73.
Born in Ohsweken, a reservation in six states, Greene saw his Hollywood profile catapult after Kevin Costner cast him as the kicking Bird (Ziŋtká Nagwáka) in 1990’s “Dances with Wolves,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and earned Greene an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
During his screen career, which began with the 1979 Canadian drama series “The Great Detective,” Green was cast in over 180 films and TV shows. His first film role was in the 1983 film “Running Bravely.”
He went on to star in several other high-profile films, including “Maverick,” “The Green Mile,” “Die Hard With A Vengeance,” and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn-Part 2.” The actor also appeared in “Tulsa King,” “Riverdale,” and as Maximus in the final season of the Emmy-nominated show “Reservation Dogs,” which were among his most recent roles.
Graham Greene, right, and Kevin Costner in the movie “Dances with Wolves.”
(With Orion Pictures Corp.
At the time of his death, he had eight upcoming projects, including the Stefan Ruzowitzky-directed thriller “Icefall,” which he had finished filming with Joel Kinnaman and Danny Huston. It is scheduled for release in October.
“He was a man of great morals, ethics and character, and he will be forever missed,” Greene’s agent, Michael Greene (no relation), said in a statement released to multiple outlets, including Deadline and TMZ. “You are finally free. Susan Smith meets you at heaven’s gates,” he added, referring to the actor’s former agent, who died in 2013.
Graham Greene and Molly Kunz in a scene from the 2021 drama “The Wolf and the Lion.”
(Courtesy of Emmanuel Guionet/Blue Fox Entertainment)
Outside of his acting career, Green won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2000 for “Listen to the Storyteller.” He is also a Gemini and Canadian Screen Award winner and an Independent Spirit nominee. In 2021, he was honored with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame, and earlier this year, he received the Governor’s Award for Performing Arts in his home state.
Graham Greene in 2022, unveiling his plaque for the arts and entertainment on Canada’s Walk of Fame at the Beanfield Centre in Toronto.
(Mathew Tsang/Getty Images)
In 1991, Green told The Times that Dances with Wolves “was definitely the biggest film I’ve ever done. It’s made a certain difference in my life—I’m more popular in the media, I’m getting scripts from people I’ve never heard of. On the other hand, I’m inundated. That’s good. I shouldn’t complain.”
Greene is survived by his wife of 35 years, Hilary Blackmore; daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene; and grandson Tarlo.
