Graham Greene, Oscar-nominated ‘Dances with Wolves’ actor, dies at 73

Graham Greene, the Canadian actor whose breakout performance in Dances with Wolves earned him an Academy Award nomination, has died at the age of 73. His family confirmed he passed away Monday in Toronto after a long illness.

Born in 1952 in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Greene began his career on stage in the 1970s before moving into television with roles in Canadian productions such as The Great Detective. His film debut came with Running Brave in 1983, but it was his portrayal of Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner’s 1990 epic Dances with Wolves that brought him international recognition. The role earned Greene an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor, making him one of the first Indigenous performers to be honored in that category.

Greene went on to build a wide-ranging career across film and television. His credits include Maverick, Die Hard with a Vengeance, The Green Mile, Molly’s Game and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. In Chris Eyre’s Skins (2002), he received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for his portrayal of a Lakota Sioux man living on a reservation.

On television, Greene became a familiar face through appearances in Northern Exposure, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Longmire, Goliath, Reservation Dogs, Riverdale, The Last of Us and Tulsa King. He also starred in Marvel’s Echo earlier this year.

In addition to acting accolades, Greene won a Grammy Award in 2000 for Best Spoken Word Album for Children for Listen to the Storyteller. He later received a Gemini Award, a Canadian Screen Award, and in 2021 was honored with a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Greene is survived by his wife, Hilary Blackmore, and his daughter, Lilly Lazare-Greene.