Graham Greene
Graham Greene is a distinguished Canadian actor of Oneida descent, celebrated for his significant contributions to film and theater, particularly as a leading figure among First Nations actors. Born on June 22, 1952, in the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, Greene's early life included various jobs before he discovered his passion for acting while working as a sound engineer. He trained at Toronto's Centre for Indigenous Theatre, graduating in 1974, and began his career with minor roles in radio and theater before gaining prominence with his performance as Kicking Bird in the acclaimed 1990 film "Dances with Wolves," for which he received an Academy Award nomination.
Throughout his career, Greene has appeared in over 170 productions, including notable films like "The Green Mile" and "Die Hard: With a Vengeance," as well as television series such as "Northern Exposure" and "Reservation Dogs." His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Order of Canada and various Gemini and Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Beyond his professional achievements, Greene has openly discussed his personal struggles with mental health, advocating for awareness and understanding of clinical depression. Now a respected figure in the entertainment industry, he continues to influence and inspire through his performances and contributions to the arts.
Graham Greene
Actor
- Born: June 22, 1952
- Place of Birth: Six Nations Reserve, Ontario
Contribution: Graham Greene, a Canadian actor, is best known for his Academy Award–nominated performance as Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner’s 1990 film Dances with Wolves. Acting in more 170 film and television productions as well as in numerous theater performances in North America and England, Greene is one of the best-known and most respected First Nations actors.
Early Years and Education
Graham Greene, an Oneida from the Iroquois Confederacy, was born June 22, 1952, on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario. Raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Greene dropped out of school at age sixteen and moved to Rochester, New York, taking a job at a carpet warehouse. At eighteen, he returned to Canada, enrolling in a welding course at George Brown College in Toronto. A series of jobs followed, including, in the early 1970s, a position as sound engineer for various Toronto-based rock bands.
Early Career
While working as a sound engineer, Greene discovered acting. Pushed by his colleagues to try his luck in this field, Greene was uninterested, until a bet with a friend led him to enroll in acting classes at Toronto’s Centre for Indigenous Theatre, formerly known as the Native Theatre School. Upon graduating in 1974, Greene was offered minor roles in radio, television, and film, and was invited to perform with a small Toronto theater company where he made his first appearance on stage.
In the early 1980s, Greene moved to London, acting on the stage for a few years. Upon returning to North America, he made his movie debut in Running Brave (1983), about a Native American who wins a medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Additional American and Canadian films followed, including Revolution (1985), and Powwow Highway (1989), about the hardships faced by Native Americans on reservations in the United States.
Rise to Stardom
Greene was becoming more and more accomplished, and his performance as Kicking Bird in the 1990 Kevin Costner film Dances with Wolves gained him international recognition. The role earned Greene an Academy Award nomination for best actor in a supporting role. It also launched his career into the mainstream and won him parts in numerous films, including Thunderheart (1992), Benefit of the Doubt (1993), and Maverick (1994), as well as Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Skins (2002), and Transamerica (2005). In addition to films, he made frequent appearances on prime-time television series such as Northern Exposure, L.A. Law, Murder, She Wrote, and Numb3rs.
In 2009 Greene appeared in the blockbuster film The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and the next year he appeared in the CBC drama series Being Erica and the political satire film Casino Jack. In 2013, Green was cast as Rafe McCawley on the science fiction series Defiance, which ran for three seasons on the SyFy network.
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Greene starred in dozens of films and television series ranging from the western drama series Longmire (2014–2017) to the FX comedy-drama Reservation Dogs (2021–). He also played a Native American deity in the series American Gods in 2021 and made an appearance in the apocalyptic horror series The Last of Us in 2023.
Despite having portrayed many Native American characters, Greene has stated that he has not gone out of his way to take on such roles, preferring less restrictive characters not tied to ethnicity.
Honors and Awards
Over the course of his long and illustrious career, Greene has received numerous awards and honors both in Canada and internationally. In Canada, he received the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts’ Dora Mavor Moore Award (1989) for his role in the theater performance Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapaskasing. He also won two Gemini Awards for best performance in a children’s program (1994 and 1998) and the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement (2004). Internationally, he was presented with a lifetime achievement award by the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles in 1992, and the best actor award at the Tokyo International Film Festival for his role in Skins. In June 2008, Greene was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. In 2015, Greene received the Order of Canada, one of the highest civilian honors in the nation.
Personal Life
Greene married Hilary Blackmore and he resides in Ontario. In 1997, Greene was hospitalized after an apparent suicide attempt. Following this episode, Greene returned to work and has gone public about his struggle with clinical depression.
Bibliography
“Canadian Actor Graham Greene Joins Cast of Twilight Sequel New Moon.” CBC, 22 Apr. 2009, www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/canadian-actor-graham-greene-joins-cast-of-twilight-sequel-new-moon-1.777863. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
"Graham Greene." IMDb, 2024, www.imdb.com/name/nm0001295/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
“Graham Greene joins ‘Defiance’ Cast.” UPI, 27 Mar. 2012, www.upi.com/Entertainment‗News/TV/2012/03/27/Graham-Greene-joins-Defiance-cast/27251332895286/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
“Order of Canada Honourees Include Bob Rae, Graham Greene, Lawrence Hill.” CBC, 1 July 2005, www.cbc.ca/news/canada/order-of-canada-honourees-include-bob-rae-graham-greene-lawrence-hill-1.3134398. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.