Graham Greene (born December 22, 1952) is a Canadian actor of Oneida and English descent, widely respected for his steady, nuanced performances in film, television, and theatre. He is best known for roles that engage Indigenous identity with dignity and complexity, and for bringing authentic Indigenous presence to mainstream cinema.

Brief biography

• Early life: Born in Walpole Island, Ontario; raised in Brantford, Ontario. He trained in acting at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre and began his career in Canadian film and television in the 1970s and 1980s.
• Background: Greene is of Oneida (Six Nations of the Grand River) heritage on his mother’s side. His Indigenous identity has informed many of his role choices and public work.

Major film and television roles

• Dances with Wolves (1990): Greene earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Kicking Bird, a Lakota chief — a breakthrough that brought him international recognition and spotlighted an Indigenous actor in a major Hollywood film.
• Thunderheart (1992): Played FBI agent Raymond Levoi in a film exploring Native American activism and reservation life; his performance was noted for its emotional depth.
• The Green Mile (1999): Portrayed Arlen Bitterbuck, a prisoner with a memorable, sympathetic presence in this Stephen King adaptation.
• Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995): Played detective Joseph Yoshinobu Takagi — a supporting but visible role in a major action film.
• Longmire (2012–2017): On television, Greene had a recurring role as Henry Standing Bear, the sheriff’s steady friend and co-lead figure; this role expanded public appreciation of his range and made him familiar to serialized-TV audiences.
• Other work: Greene has appeared in many Canadian productions and stage works; he is also a voice actor and performer in Indigenous theatre initiatives.

Acting style and reputation

• Presence and restraint: Critics and colleagues often praise Greene for conveying interior life with minimal gestures; his performances are frequently described as quiet, authoritative, and emotionally resonant.
• Cultural authenticity: Greene has been a central figure in efforts to represent Indigenous characters with complexity rather than stereotype. He’s been selective about roles and outspoken about the need for Indigenous voices in storytelling and production.
• Longevity and versatility: Across decades he has moved between mainstream Hollywood films, independent cinema, television, and stage, showing adaptability to different genres while maintaining integrity in representation.

Honors and recognition

• Academy Award nomination (Best Supporting Actor) for Dances with Wolves (1991).
• Genie Awards (Canada) nominee/winner in various categories across his career.
• Recognized as an important Indigenous artist in Canadian cultural life; cited in discussions of Indigenous representation in film.

Public engagement and impact

• Advocacy: Greene has used his platform to speak about Indigenous issues, cultural preservation, and roles for Indigenous actors.
• Legacy: He is often named among the most respected Indigenous actors of his generation and is credited with helping open doors for later Indigenous performers.

Suggested further reading/viewing

• Watch: Dances with Wolves (1990), Thunderheart (1992), The Green Mile (1999), Longmire (TV series).
• Interviews: Look for profiles and interviews in major outlets (e.g., The Globe and Mail, CBC) and recorded panels where Greene discusses his career and Indigenous representation.
• Scholarship: Articles on Indigenous representation in cinema and casting (e.g., Journal of Cinema and Media Studies) discuss Greene’s significance in the broader context.

If you’d like, I can:

• Provide a full filmography.
• Summarize one of his major performances scene by scene.
• List interviews and links to primary sources.

Graham Greene was born on June 22, 1952, in Walpole Island, Ontario, and raised in Brantford, Ontario, on the Six Nations Reserve. He is a member of the Oneida Nation. Greene pursued formal acting training at the Centre for Indigenous Theatre, which helped him develop skills rooted in Indigenous performance traditions and contemporary stagecraft. He began working in Canadian film and television in the 1970s and 1980s, building a steady career in supporting and lead roles that emphasized authenticity and dignity in portrayals of Indigenous characters. This foundation in community, training, and early screen work prepared him for the breakthrough role that would follow in the 1990s.

Graham Greene’s performance as Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves (1990) mattered for three linked reasons:

1. Artistic breakthrough — recognition of craft

   • His Oscar nomination (Best Supporting Actor) acknowledged Greene’s subtle, dignified acting — a quiet moral authority and emotional depth that stood out within a major Hollywood production. This formal recognition validated his craft on the largest industry stage (Academy Awards archives).

2. Representation and visibility

   • As a status Indigenous Canadian actor playing a Lakota chief in a widely seen film, Greene’s nomination brought Indigenous presence into mainstream cinematic acclaim. It challenged prevailing invisibility and stereotypes by presenting a complex Indigenous character portrayed with nuance.

3. Cultural and industry impact

   • The nomination helped open doors: it increased public and industry awareness of Indigenous talent and contributed to momentum for more authentic casting and Indigenous narratives in film and television. For Greene personally, it was a career-defining moment that led to further prominent roles and advocacy for cultural authenticity.

Sources: Academy Awards archives; film coverage and interviews; Canadian Encyclopedia; CBC reporting on Greene’s career and honors.

Thunderheart (1992) is a crime drama directed by Michael Apted in which Graham Greene plays Walter Crow Horse, a Native American tribal elder and the coroner who becomes an important ally to the film’s protagonist. The movie draws loosely on real events from the 1970s — notably the FBI investigations and tensions around the American Indian Movement — and blends a police-procedural structure with cultural and political themes about Native sovereignty, historical trauma, and the clash between federal authorities and Indigenous communities.

Why this selection matters for Greene:

• Role fit: Greene’s portrayal of Crow Horse exemplifies the “quiet intensity and moral presence” you noted — a measured, authoritative performance that lends cultural authenticity and emotional weight to the story.
• Representation: The film foregrounds Indigenous characters and issues at a time when such narratives were rare in mainstream Hollywood, helping raise visibility for Indigenous actors.
• Career: Thunderheart followed Greene’s Academy Award–nominated turn in Dances with Wolves and reinforced his reputation for nuanced portrayals of Indigenous elders and leaders in politically charged films.

Further reading: contemporary reviews (e.g., New York Times), interviews with the cast, and analyses of Indigenous representation in 1990s cinema.

Graham Greene is of Oneida (Six Nations of the Grand River) descent on his mother’s side. That Indigenous heritage has been a formative part of his personal identity and professional life. It has guided the roles he chooses, the way he portrays characters (often elders, leaders, or figures with moral complexity), and his public advocacy for culturally authentic representation of Indigenous peoples in film, television and theatre. Greene’s career—marked by high-profile performances (e.g., Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves) and recognition such as an Academy Award nomination and the Order of Canada—reflects both his artistry and his commitment to increasing visibility, dignity, and nuance for Indigenous characters and performers.

Sources: Academy Awards archives; Canadian Encyclopedia; CBC coverage of Order of Canada appointment; Greene’s filmography (IMDb).