The Life & Legacy of Graham Greene
- Chipco Preserve
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Maeve Kiley
Talented. Thoughtful. Trailblazer. Graham Greene was born on June 22nd, 1952, on the Six Nations Reserve in Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada. He was a member of the Oneida tribe, part of the Six Nations, located in the Grand River territory.
He spent the early stage of his life working in the steel industry as a draftsman, welder, carpenter, and civil technician. He also worked and operated a recording studio in Hamilton, Ontario, before becoming an audio technician for rock bands.
Although he worked jobs in almost every field, he always possessed dreams of acting. In 1974, he graduated from the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (which he also helped manage) and ventured into the world of theater. He spent his early-stage career performing for professional theater productions in Canada and England. At the Stratford Festival, Graham performed as Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” and Lenny in “Of Mice and Men.”
His first big screen performance was an episode of the Canadian drama series The Great Detective in 1979. Although his performance received positive feedback, Graham is quoted as describing it as “awful” and was determined to further develop his career. His first movie was Running Brave in 1983, where he played Eddie Mills.
Graham Greene faced heavy discrimination in Hollywood, with many directors telling him that they “disliked the look of him” and “I can’t see an Indian being that.” Greene regularly pushed back against their harmful views and refused to take roles where he was not respected.
It wasn’t until 1990 that Graham got his breakout role as Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves. Graham would spend eight hours a day, seven days a week, studying the Lakota language for the role. He stated that his lack of knowledge of his own tribe’s language was like “forgetting your heart.” The movie landed 12 Academy Award nominations and won 7, including Greene’s incredible performance, which earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1991.
Greene’s career skyrocketed from there with major, globally acclaimed cinema roles Powwow Highway (1989), Thunderheart (1992), Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), Wind River (2017), 1883 (2021), The Birds Who Fear Death (2024), and many more. He also continued performing in television shows with notable roles in The Last of His Tribe (1992), Defiance (2013-2015), Longmire (2012-2017), Reservation Dogs (2021-2023), and more. In total, Graham Greene starred in at least 43 movies and more than 15 TV shows.
On December 20th, 1990, Graham Greene married Hilary Blackmore, whom he met on the set of Dances with Wolves. Together, they lived a private life in Canada with their daughter, Lilly Lazare-Greene, grandson, Tarlo, and “a small army of cats.” The couple were married for 35 years until Graham Greene’s death on September 1, 2025, at 73 years old. He passed away in Stratford, Canada, with his wife at his side.
Greene’s impressive and successful career allowed his compassionate heart to shine. The actor was heavily involved in the world of activism and vocally supported the rights of Indigenous people worldwide. He stood strong in opposition against typecasting, cultural misrepresentation, and stereotyping. Describing himself as a “passive activist”, Greene rarely involved himself in political debates, instead, fighting to create opportunities in the film industry for Indigenous actors and promoting more cultural representation in all areas of life.
He supported multiple organizations that advocated for Indigenous rights, such as Partnerships With Native Americans (PWNA), The Centre for Indigenous Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, YMCA, and other groups. He would regularly donate voiceworks, money, and raise awareness about discrimination in Hollywood, and demanded that Hollywood portray a more authentic and dignified representation of Indigenous people.
Graham Greene will be forever remembered for his impressive film history, incredible acting talent, and powerful advocacy for Indigenous people.
Works Cited
IMDb. (n.d.). Graham Greene - Biography. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001295/bio/
Graham Greene | the Canadian encyclopedia. (n.d.). https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/graham-greene
Wild, E. (2025, September 1). Groundbreaking Oscar-nominated First Nations actor Graham Greene Walks on. Native News Online. https://nativenewsonline.net/currents/groundbreaking-oscar-nominated-first-nation-s-actor-graham-greene-walks-on
Sherman, M. (2025, September 2). Graham Greene, Oscar-nominated indigenous actor best known for “dances with wolves,” dies at 73. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/graham-greene-oscar-nominated-indigenous-actor-best-known-for-dances-with-wolves-dies-at-73