Graham Greene, the quietly commanding Canadian actor whose work brought depth, dignity, and humor to Indigenous representation on screen, has died at the age of 73. He passed away peacefully on September 1 in Stratford, Ontario, following a prolonged illness.
His breakthrough came in Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves (1990), where his portrayal of Kicking Bird, a wise and compassionate Sioux holy man, earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. It was a performance that challenged Hollywood stereotypes and opened the door for him.
Over four decades, Greene built a body of work that stretched across more than 180 credits, moving between film, television, and stage. His roles in “Thunderheart,” “Maverick,” “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” “The Green Mile,” and “Wind River,” are highlights. TV-wise, his notable credits included “Northern Exposure,” “1883,” “Tulsa King,” and “Reservation Dogs.”
What will define Greene’s legacy will be his humanization of characters too often reduced to caricature. He infused them with humor, warmth, and complexity, pushing back against the flat portrayals of Indigenous people that dominated the screen for decades.