Graham Greene, Oscar Nominated Actor ‘In Dances With Wolves,’ Dies At 73

Graham Greene (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage for Turner Broadcasting System)

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Graham Greene, best known for his role as Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner’s 1990 film Dances with Wolves, died September 1 at a Toronto hospital after a long illness. He was 73.

Born June 22, 1952, in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Greene amassed more than 180 acting credits over his career, according to IMDb. He appeared in both film and television, most notably on the big screen in Thunderheart, The Green Mile, Die Hard with a Vengeance, Windtalkers, and the aforementioned Dances with Wolves, among other titles.

In addition to his film work, Greene had television guest roles in series such as Murder, She Wrote, L.A. Law, American Gods, Riverdale, 1883, and, most recently, Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King. He also had a five-episode recurring role as Leonard Quinhagak in Northern Exposure from 1992 to 1993, and his one regularly scheduled TV role was in the 2001 to 2002 drama Wolf Lake opposite Lou Diamond Phillips.

Widely respected not only for his talent but also for his advocacy on behalf of Indigenous actors in Hollywood, colleagues remember Greene as a mentor and trailblazer who broke barriers for Indigenous representation in film and television.

He is survived by his wife, Hilary Blackmore, his daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene, and his grandson Tarlo.