Oscar-Nominated 'Dances With Wolves' Actor Graham Greene Has Passed Away At The Age Of 73

TV & Film

Sep 3

Graham Greene, the Canadian actor and Oscar-nominated performer, passed away at the age of 73 on Monday, September 1, in Toronto after a long struggle with illness. Greene was one of the early Indigenous actors in Hollywood. His first television performance was in 1979’s The Great Detective, and his debut film was 1983’s Running Brave. Greene secured fame when he starred alongside Kevin Costner in Dances With Wolves as Kicking Bird. The film earned 7 Oscars out of 12 nominations, with Best Picture and Best Director for Costner. Greene’s career continued with Maverick, Die Hard with a Vengeance, The Twilight Saga- Breaking Dawn- Part 2, Molly’s Game, and The Green Mile. Greene was nominated for a Spirit Award in 2002’s Skins, which focused on life on a Lakota Sioux reservation. After the news of his passing, Costner took to Instagram to share a tribute to his late co-star. He described Greene as “a master at work and a wonderful human being.” He continued, “I’m grateful to have been witness to part of his lasting legacy. Rest in peace, Graham.”

Outside of the silver screen, Greene had a pretty extensive career in television as well. He appeared in Northern Exposure, Murder She Wrote, Lonesome Dove: The Series, Wolf Lake, The Red Green Show, Defiance, Longmire, Goliath, Reservation Dogs, Echo, Riverdale, 1883, The Last of Us, and Tulsa King. He also received a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Listen to the Storyteller. Greene was born in 1952 in Ohsweken, which is part of the Canadian Six Nations Reserve. Greene started his career in theater before making it to Hollywood and was part of professional performances in the 1970s. He is survived by his wife, Hilary Blackmore, and his daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene.