A Life That Spoke Volumes
Born in 1952 on Canada’s Six Nations Reserve, Greene launched his performance journey in theater during the 1970s. His screen debut came in the Canadian drama The Great Detective (1979), followed by the film Running Brave (1983) — modest beginnings for a career that would become legendary.Everything changed with Kevin Costner’s Dances With Wolves (1990). Greene’s portrayal of the wise and compassionate Kicking Bird earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor — a breakthrough for Indigenous actors in Hollywood
A Career of Range and Resonance
Far from being pigeonholed, Greene embraced a wide variety of roles across film and television:
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- Blockbuster hits: Maverick, Die Hard With a Vengeance, The Green Mile
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- Fantasy and franchise: Two Twilight Saga installments
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- Television gems: Northern Exposure, Longmire, Goliath, Reservation Dogs, The Last of Us, Tulsa King
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- Recent accolades: A Canadian Screen Award in 2024, and earlier this year, the 2025 Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award
Greene also won a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album for Children in 2000 for Listen to the Storyteller — showcasing his versatility and dedication to storytelling in all forms.
Tributes That Echo
Greene’s colleagues and friends mourned his passing with deeply moving tributes:
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- Lou Diamond Phillips called him “one of the wittiest, wiliest, warmest people I’ve ever known… Iconic and Legendary. RIP, My Brother
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- Gil Birmingham lauded Greene’s influence on Native representation, saying, “His great heart was only matched by his wickedly funny sense of humor
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- Robert Patrick summed it up simply: “Absolute legend
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- Enduring Legacy
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- Graham Greene leaves behind his wife of 35 years, Hilary Blackmore, their daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene, and grandson Tarlo
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- testament to his enduring passion for storytelling
Rest in Power
As we say goodbye to Graham Greene, we honor a man whose performances were never just acting — they were deeply felt stories told with integrity, humor, and soul. May his spirit continue to inspire.