Canadian First Nations actor Graham Greene, best known for his Oscar-nominated performance in Dances with Wolves, has died at the age of 73. He passed away on September 1, 2025, in a Toronto hospital following a long illness. His wife, Hilary Blackmore, was by his side.

Born in 1952 on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, Greene was a member of the Oneida community. He began his acting career on Canadian television in the late 1970s before moving into film, with an early role in Running Brave(1983).

Greene rose to international prominence in 1990 with his role as Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves. The performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, making him one of the most widely recognized Indigenous actors in Hollywood.

Across more than four decades, Greene built a career marked by range and versatility. His film credits include Thunderheart (1992), Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Transamerica (2005), Wind River (2017), and Molly’s Game (2017). He also appeared in blockbuster franchises such as The Twilight Saga.

On television, he was known for roles in Northern Exposure, Longmire, Defiance, Reservation Dogs, Echo, and Tulsa King. His consistent presence on screen made him a central figure in broadening Indigenous representation in North American entertainment.

Greene’s work was recognized with numerous honors. He received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for Children, won a Canadian Screen Award in 2024, and earlier this year was presented with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement.

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

Sources: The Guardian, People, The Daily Beast, Page Six and New York Post