Graham Greene, acclaimed actor from ‘Dances with Wolves,’ dies at 73
The Oscar-nominated Canadian actor, known for roles in Dances With Wolves, The Green Mile, and The Last of Us, has died in Ontario after a long illness.
Graham Greene, the celebrated Canadian actor whose breakout role in Dances With Wolves brought him international recognition, has died at the age of 73. His wife, Hilary Blackmore, was by his side when he passed in a Toronto hospital.
Born a member of the Oneida Nation on the Six Nations Reserve in southern Ontario, Greene’s path to acting was anything but straightforward. Before pursuing a career on stage, he worked as a carpenter, steelworker, and even as part of a rock band’s crew.
His career changed course in the 1970s when he found his way into British theatre, which he later credited with shaping his discipline and craft.
At age 38, Greene won global attention for portraying Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner’s 1990 film Dances With Wolves. The role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor — making him the first Canadian nominated in that category since 1971.
“I called my wife, Hilary, and said, ‘You won’t believe this. I’ve just been nominated for an Oscar,’” Greene once recalled.
Over the decades, Greene built a career spanning both film and television. He appeared in The Green Mile, Wind River, Maverick, and more recently in Tulsa King, Reservation Dogs, and HBO’s The Last of Us.
Known for his humor and wisdom, he was celebrated not just as a performer, but as a trailblazer for Indigenous representation in Hollywood. Variety described him as “a pioneer for Indigenous actors.”
Actor Matty Cardarople, who worked with Greene on Reservation Dogs, remembered him as “lighthearted, wise, hilarious” and someone who “lived the way you should — with a light heart, no ego, not jaded.”
Personal life and passing
Greene died on September 1 in Stratford, Ontario, after what his representatives described as a long illness. His manager later confirmed the cause as “natural.”
He is survived by his wife Hilary, daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene, and grandson Tarlo.
Greene often joked about his winding road to acting, once telling Reader’s Digest that if not for film, he would have stayed a welder: “I stumbled into acting and thought, wow — this is the life of a dog. They feed you, give you water, keep you in the shade, and tell you when to speak.”
Graham Greene leaves behind a body of work that shaped both Canadian and Indigenous storytelling in film. His characters carried humor, humanity, and strength — a legacy that will remain long after his passing.
