Graham Greene, the Oscar-nominated Native Canadian actor best known for his role in the 1990 classic film Dances With Wolves, has died at the age of 73. His death was confirmed on Monday, 1 September 2025, though no official cause has been publicly shared at this time. Greene’s passing has sparked an outpouring of tributes from fans, fellow actors, and Indigenous communities who celebrated his remarkable contributions to film and television.
Greene, a proud member of the Oneida Nation of the Thames, was born in Ohsweken, Ontario, on June 22, 1952. Attending Toronto’s Centre for Indigenous Theatre is where he first discovered acting, and it served as the springboard for an acting career spanning over forty years.
His breakout role came as Kicking Bird, a wise and compassionate medicine man, in Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves. Greene became one of the few Indigenous actors to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as a result of the performance.
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According to The Guardian, Graham Greene’s Hollywood breakthrough came when Kevin Costner cast him as Kicking Bird (Ziŋtká Nagwáka), the Lakota Sioux medicine man in the Oscar-winning epic Dances With Wolves (1990). The role earned Greene an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor and propelled him into a successful Hollywood career. He went on to deliver acclaimed performances in films such as Thunderheart (1992), Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), and Wind River (2017). Greene was equally prolific on television, appearing in series like Longmire and Northern Exposure, while also expanding his reach as a voice actor in animated projects and video games.
Beyond his screen work, Graham Greene was admired for his advocacy of Indigenous representation in Hollywood. Reflecting on his career in a 2024 interview for Canada’s Theatre Museum, Graham Greene recalled how early in his career he was often handed scripts that demanded stereotypical portrayals of Native characters.
“When I first started out in the business, it was a very strange thing where they’d hand you the script where you had to speak the way they thought native people spoke. And in order to get my foot in the door a little further, I did it. I went along with it for a while … You got to look stoic. Don’t smile … you got to grunt a lot.” Over time, Graham Greene pushed back against these limited roles, speaking often about the importance of authentic portrayals of Native peoples and using his platform to advocate for greater inclusion and respect within the industry.
Fellow actors and fans took to social media to remember Greene not only as a gifted performer but also as a trailblazer. Actor Adam Beach called him a “true warrior for Indigenous artists,” while others praised his humility and generosity off-screen.
Greene is survived by his family, who have requested privacy as they grieve the loss of a beloved husband, father, and cultural icon. Plans for memorial services are expected to be announced soon.
Although Graham Greene’s remarkable career has come to an end, future generations will continue to be inspired by his legacy as a trailblazing Indigenous actor and storyteller.