Graham Greene (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Graham Greene
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Greene in 1998
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| Born | June 22, 1952 Six Nations Reserve, Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada
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| Died | September 1, 2025 (aged 73) Stratford, Ontario, Canada
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| Nationality | Oneida First Nation Canadian |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1976–2025 |
| Spouse(s) |
Hilary Blackmore
(m. 1990) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Gary Farmer (second cousin once removed) |
Graham Greene CM (June 22, 1952 – September 1, 2025) was a talented Canadian actor from the Oneida First Nation. He was famous for his work in movies, television, and theater.
He became known around the world for playing Kicking Bird in the movie Dances With Wolves (1990). This role earned him a nomination for an Academy Award, which is one of the biggest honors in movies! Graham Greene also appeared in other well-known films like Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), and The Green Mile (1999).
Besides his Oscar nomination, Graham Greene won several other important awards. These included a Grammy Award, a Gemini Award, a Canadian Screen Award, and a Dora Mavor Moore Award. In 2025, he received the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for his amazing contributions to the arts.
Contents
Early Life and Acting Journey
Graham Greene was born in Ohsweken, Ontario, on the Six Nations Reserve. His family was part of the Oneida First Nation. His father, John, worked as a paramedic and maintenance man, and his mother was Lillian Greene. When he was younger, he lived in Hamilton, Ontario. He was also related to another actor, Gary Farmer.
Before he started acting, Graham had many different jobs. He worked as a draftsman, a steelworker, and even a welder. He also worked as a sound technician for rock bands. A musician named Kelly Jay kept telling him he should try acting in plays.
Many people thought he graduated from a special theater school for Indigenous actors. But Graham actually helped run that school as an executive director! In the 1970s, he started acting in professional plays in Toronto and England. He even toured with a play called Wacousta in 1976.
His first time on TV was in a show called The Great Detective in 1979. His first movie was Running Brave in 1983. Graham once said his first TV role was "awful"! That experience made him want to learn how to act even better.
A Career in Entertainment
Graham Greene had a long and successful career, bringing many different characters to life.
On Stage: Theatre Roles
Graham often performed at the Native Earth Performing Arts theater. He was well-known for his role as Pierre St. Pierre in the play Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing. He also acted in other plays like The Crackwalker. In 2007, he played a famous character named Shylock in a Shakespeare play called The Merchant of Venice at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
On Screen: Television Shows
In the 1980s, Graham was in a CBC TV series called Spirit Bay. This show was special because it was one of the first to show the lives of Indigenous people and how different cultures interacted.
In the early 1990s, he appeared as a guest star on many TV shows. On Northern Exposure, he played Leonard Quinhagak, a wise shaman who helped people. His character often had different ideas than the show's other doctor, who relied on traditional medicine.
He also played a funny character named Edgar "K.B." Montrose on The Red Green Show. Edgar loved explosives! In one episode, his character even joked about Graham's own role in Dances With Wolves, saying the "native guy was OK" and "should have gotten the Oscar!"
In 1992, Graham played Ishi, who was known as the last member of the Yahi people, in a TV movie called The Last of His Tribe. And in 1994, he started playing Mr. Crabby Tree in the children's show The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon.
He was a guest on the comedy show Royal Canadian Air Farce in 1994. From 1997 to 2001, he hosted a documentary show called Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science. He also starred in the TV series Wolf Lake in 2001. He appeared in two TV movies that tried to bring back the old Canadian show The Beachcombers. Later, he was a guest star in five episodes of Being Erica as Dr. Arthur. He even appeared as himself in a funny commercial parody on the Rick Mercer Report.
In 2006, Graham hosted a documentary series called The War that Made America. It was about important wars that happened in North America a long time ago. He also played a First Nations chief in an episode of the TV show Numb3rs.
Actor Lou Diamond Phillips encouraged Graham to join the cast of Longmire. Graham played a villain named Malachi Strand for 12 episodes. He once said that "Playing villains is fun. Being nice all the time; it's boring." In 2022, he played Spotted Eagle, a wise elder, in the TV series 1883. He also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe miniseries Echo in 2024. In 2023, he was a guest star in Reservation Dogs and The Last of Us. In 2024, he played a medicine man named Old Smoke in an episode of Tulsa King.
On the Big Screen: Movie Roles
Graham Greene's role as Kicking Bird in the 1990 film Dances With Wolves showed his amazing talent to audiences everywhere. He once shared a funny story about being thrown from a horse during filming. When the director asked if he wanted a break, Graham joked that he was more interested in finding the horse for "payback"! He also mentioned that learning the Lakota language for the role was challenging because its structure was very different from English.
He appeared in the action-mystery film Thunderheart (1992). He played Walter Crow Horse, a smart local police officer on an Indian reservation. Graham quickly agreed to do the movie, saying he loved the Badlands and the idea of riding a motorcycle.
In the 1994 movie Maverick, Graham received great reviews for his role as Joseph, a sidekick to Mel Gibson's character. People especially enjoyed his portrayal of a modern Native American who cleverly used his position as a tourist attraction.
Graham also acted alongside Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in the 1995 film Die Hard with a Vengeance, where he played Detective Joe Lambert.
In the Oscar-nominated film The Green Mile (1999), Graham played Arlen Bitterbuck. His character was an elder from the Washita Tribe. His character's execution was the first one shown in the movie, and it was depicted very realistically.
He co-starred with Adam Beach and Wes Studi in the films A Thief of Time (2004) and Coyote Waits. Both movies were based on novels by Tony Hillerman and produced by Robert Redford.
In 2005, he played a character named Calvin Many Goats in the movie Transamerica. Critics praised his "charming earthiness" in the role.
Graham worked with writer and director Aaron Sorkin on Molly's Game in 2017. He played a judge in the film. He remembered looking at the set from the judge's seat and realizing, "I've just never seen the bench from this side before!"
Other Creative Work
Graham Greene provided the narration for Tecumseh!, a famous outdoor show in Ohio about the life of the Shawnee chief Tecumseh. He also played Sitting Bull in a short historical video.
In 2018, Graham acted as Chief Rains Fall, a Native-American elder, in the popular video game Red Dead Redemption 2.
Personal Life and Legacy
Graham Greene and his wife, Hilary Blackmore, lived outside of Toronto with their many cats. He enjoyed writing, building boats, and playing golf. He once said about golf, "I just want to go and play, I don't care who's looking. It's a game where you get to play against yourself." He preferred to live in Canada rather than move to California for acting roles. He believed a working actor could live anywhere with a phone, a fax, and an airport nearby.
When talking about Indigenous people in movies, Graham wished to see them shown as more than just serious characters. He said, "My people are very funny."
In June 2008, he received an honorary doctor of law degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. He was also appointed a Member of the Order of Canada (CM) in 2015, which is a high honor in Canada.
Graham Greene passed away after a long illness in Stratford, Ontario on September 1, 2025, at the age of 73. He left behind a remarkable legacy in film, television, and theater.
See also
In Spanish: Graham Greene (actor) para niños
