by On September 1, 2025, Graham Greene, a celebrated Canadian First Nations actor who was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Dances with Wolves, passed away at the age of 73. His death signifies the end of an incredible career that broke down barriers for Indigenous representation in Hollywood and lasted for more than 40 years.
Early Years and Start of a Career
Graham Greene was a member of the Oneida Nation and the son of a paramedic and maintenance worker. He was born on the Six Nations Reserve in Ohsweken, Ontario, on June 22, 1952. He was a draftsman, steelworker, welder, and rock band audio technician before he started acting. His acting career started in the 1970s in theaters in Toronto and England. He made his television and movie debuts in 1979 and 1983, respectively, in The Great Detective and Running Brave.
Hollywood Fame and a Breakthrough Role
With his performance as Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner’s epic Dances with Wolves (1990), Greene gained international recognition and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The movie, which took home seven Oscars, including Best Picture, demonstrated Greene’s ability to speak Lakota, even though it was difficult for him because he was not raised speaking the language. In addition to giving Indigenous actors a platform, this role helped Greene land more than 200 TV and movie roles.
Notable Positions and Accomplishments
Throughout his career, Greene gave standout performances in movies like Thunderheart (1992) as Walter Crow Horse, Maverick (1994) with Mel Gibson, Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) with Bruce Willis, The Green Mile (1999) with Tom Hanks, Wind River (2017) as Ben Shoyo, the tribal police chief, and television shows like Reservation Dogs, 1883, and Tulsa King. He received a Dora Mavor Moore Award, a Canadian Screen Award, a Grammy, a Gemini Award, and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in 2025.
Iconic Graham Greene Films Wind River: Greene portrayed Ben Shoyo, the tribal police chief in this 2017 thriller set on a Native American reservation, which helped the movie explore grief, retribution, and Indigenous issues.
In this Stephen King adaptation, which starred Tom Hanks, Greene played the role of Arlen Bitterbuck, a repentant death row inmate.
Thunderheart: Greene costarred with Val Kilmer as tough police officer Walter Crow Horse in this mystery set on an Indian reservation.
Legacy as an Indigenous Pioneer
Generations of actors were influenced by Greene’s work, which emphasized Native stories and cultures as a fervent supporter of Indigenous representation. After a protracted illness, he passed away quietly, according to his manager, and admirers and coworkers paid their respects in spades. Greene will always be regarded as a Hollywood pioneer because of his inspirational contributions to theater and cinema.
