Greene was one of the first First Nations actors that broke through in Hollywood and was nominated in 1991 for an Academy Award for best male supporting role.
He was born in 1952 in Ohsweken, at the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. His career started on stage in the 70s, after which he made his television debut in 1979 in the Canadian series The Great Detective.
Kevin Costner
His first film role followed in Running Brave (1983), but his international breakthrough came with Dances with Wolves (1990), directed by Kevin Costner. Greene played a Lakota Sioux medicine man and gave the character humanity and humor who were rare at the time in Hollywood’s portrayal of indigenous peoples.
After his breakthrough, Greene played in many large productions, including Thunderheart,, ” Maverick,, ” That hard with a vengeanance,, ” The Green Mile and The Twilight Saga: New Moon. He was also active in television series such as Reservation Dogs,, ” The Last of Us,, ” 1883 and Tulsa Kingand continued to work on new projects until the end of his life.
Graham Greene in 2021. © ANP/HH
Various Awards
During his career, Greene received a Grammy Award, a Gemini Award and a Canadian Screen Award. In June 2025 he was honored with the highest artistic distinction of Canada: the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for his lifelong contribution to the performing arts.
In an interview in 2024, Greene looked back on his early years, in which he received scripts that called stereotype images of indigenous people. “You had to be stoic, don’t laugh, growl a lot,” he said. “But in reality, indigenous people have an incredible sense of humor. I also said that to Kevin Costner: Fun is half of how they live.”
Greene leaves his wife Hilary Blackmore, with whom he was married for 35 years, his daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene and his grandson Tarlo.