Native Actor and Oscar Nominee Graham Greene Dies at 73

Oscar-nom­i­nat­ed Cana­di­an actor Gra­ham Greene has passed away at the age of 73, leav­ing behind a remark­able lega­cy in film, tele­vi­sion, and the­ater.

Born on June 22, 1952, in Ohsweken, Ontario, Greene was a proud mem­ber of the Onei­da Nation of the Six Nations Reserve. His jour­ney into act­ing began in the the­ater, but his career tru­ly soared after his break­through per­for­mance as Kick­ing Bird in Dances with Wolves (1990). The role not only earned him world­wide recog­ni­tion but also an Acad­e­my Award nom­i­na­tion for Best Sup­port­ing Actor—making him one of the few Indige­nous actors to receive such an hon­or at the time.

Greene went on to appear in a wide range of acclaimed projects, from The Green Mile and Thun­der­heart to Die Hard with a Vengeance and Wind Riv­er. His tele­vi­sion cred­its includ­ed roles in North­ern Expo­sure, Long­mire, and Goliath, show­cas­ing his ver­sa­til­i­ty and pow­er­ful screen pres­ence.

Beyond the screen, Greene was cel­e­brat­ed for break­ing bar­ri­ers and bring­ing authen­tic Indige­nous rep­re­sen­ta­tion to Hol­ly­wood, often choos­ing roles that high­light­ed the strength and dig­ni­ty of his her­itage. Col­leagues and fans alike remem­ber him as not only a gift­ed per­former but also a warm, hum­ble man who inspired future gen­er­a­tions of Indige­nous actors.

As trib­utes pour in, the world remem­bers Gra­ham Greene not just as an actor, but as a trail­blaz­er whose voice and tal­ent will con­tin­ue to res­onate for years to come.

Oscar-Nom­i­nat­ed Actor Gra­ham Greene Dies at 73

Oscar-nom­i­nat­ed actor Gra­ham Greene, one of the most respect­ed Indige­nous per­form­ers in film and tele­vi­sion, has died at the age of 73. His pass­ing marks the end of a decades-long career that brought both crit­i­cal acclaim and his­toric rep­re­sen­ta­tion to Hol­ly­wood.

Born on June 22, 1952, in Ohsweken, Ontario, Cana­da, Greene was a mem­ber of the Onei­da Nation, part of the Six Nations of the Grand Riv­er. He dis­cov­ered act­ing lat­er in life, after ini­tial­ly work­ing in trades and tech­ni­cal jobs, before study­ing at the Cen­tre for Indige­nous The­atre in Toron­to. His nat­ur­al pres­ence, charis­ma, and authen­tic­i­ty quick­ly set him apart.

Greene’s break­out role came in Kevin Costner’s epic Dances with Wolves (1990), where he por­trayed Kick­ing Bird, a wise and com­pas­sion­ate Sioux med­i­cine man. The per­for­mance earned him an Acad­e­my Award nom­i­na­tion for Best Sup­port­ing Actor, mak­ing him one of the few Indige­nous actors ever to receive such recog­ni­tion at that time. His work in the film was hailed for its depth and human­i­ty, chal­leng­ing stereo­types and open­ing doors for greater Indige­nous rep­re­sen­ta­tion in cin­e­ma.

Fol­low­ing that suc­cess, Greene went on to appear in a diverse range of films: Thun­der­heart (1992), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Skins (2002), and Wind Riv­er (2017), among many oth­ers. He was equal­ly pro­lif­ic on tele­vi­sion, with mem­o­rable roles in North­ern Expo­sure, The Red Green Show, Long­mire, Defi­ance, and Goliath. His per­for­mances car­ried a unique com­bi­na­tion of qui­et strength, humor, and resilience.

Greene also lent his voice to video games and ani­mat­ed projects, fur­ther show­cas­ing his ver­sa­til­i­ty. His abil­i­ty to move between dra­ma, com­e­dy, and action made him a rare tal­ent, beloved by audi­ences across gen­er­a­tions.

But beyond his career achieve­ments, Greene was admired as a pio­neer. He con­sis­tent­ly used his plat­form to high­light the impor­tance of authen­tic Indige­nous sto­ry­telling. He often spoke about the chal­lenges Indige­nous actors faced in Hol­ly­wood and worked to pave the way for younger per­form­ers to fol­low.

Trib­utes have begun pour­ing in from fel­low actors, film­mak­ers, and fans, all remem­ber­ing him not only as a remark­able artist but also as a kind, gen­er­ous man. His lega­cy is one of break­ing bar­ri­ers, redefin­ing rep­re­sen­ta­tion, and bring­ing dig­ni­ty and truth to every role he played.

At 73, Gra­ham Greene leaves behind a body of work that will con­tin­ue to inspire, edu­cate, and move audi­ences world­wide. His voice will be missed, but his impact on cin­e­ma and Indige­nous sto­ry­telling will nev­er be for­got­ten.