Today, the film world says goodbye to one of its great talents.
Actor Graham Greene, best known for his role as Kicking Bird in the Oscar-winning film Dances with Wolves, has died in a Toronto hospital at the age of 73.
Born on Ontario’s Six Nations Reserve, Greene made history in Hollywood. His powerful performance in Dances with Wolves earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, paving the way for future Indigenous actors.
Over his decades-long career, he appeared in acclaimed works such as The Green Mile, Maverick, Wind River, as well as the hit series 1883 and Tulsa King. In 2016, he was honored with the Order of Canada, the nation’s second-highest civilian distinction.
Beyond the screen, Greene was a strong voice for Indigenous representation. In a 2022 interview he said:
“Producers would say, ‘I can’t see an Indian being that.’ And I told them, ‘I’m not Indian, I’m North American.’”
Tributes have poured in from colleagues and friends.
His agent called him “a man of morals, ethics and character, who will be eternally missed.”
Actor Gil Birmingham wrote: “We lost an incredible talent who inspired a new generation of Native actors.”
And Lou Diamond Phillips added: “Iconic, legendary, witty, warm — one of the best people I’ve ever known. Rest in peace, my brother.”
With his passing, Hollywood has lost not only a gifted performer, but also a trailblazer whose legacy will forever live on in cinema history.