Graham Greene (actor)

Graham Greene was born on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve in Ontario, Canada.¹ He is a member of the Oneida and Mohawk nations. Greene attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City, where he studied theatre. Before acting, he worked as a steelworker, construction laborer, and served as a firefighter on the reserve.² He also worked as a sound engineer for CBC Radio, an experience that helped him develop his voice.

Greene's breakthrough came with the role of Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves (1990), which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor (though he was not nominated; the film won several Oscars).³ He later appeared in Thunderheart (1992), Maverick (1994), and Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995). In The Green Mile (1999), he played Arlen Bitterbuck.⁴ On television, he had recurring roles on Northern Exposure, Lost, and The Outer Limits. He also voiced characters in animated series such as King of the Hill and Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Greene is also a voice actor for video games, including Gun (2005) and Watch Dogs 2 (2016).⁵ He performed in the Canadian stage production Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing by Tomson Highway. Greene has been a cultural consultant for film productions seeking authentic representation of Indigenous peoples. He is a practicing Buddhist and has been a tribal ambassador for the Six Nations. He also appeared in a music video for the band Blue Rodeo.

Greene won a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for the TV film Loyalties (1996). He received the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Musical for Anne of Green Gables (1999). In 2003, he was honored with the American Indian Movie Award for Best Actor. He was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2016 as a Member.⁶ The Canadian Film Centre recognized him with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.

Oneida

A First Nations tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy, originally from New York.

Mohawk

A First Nations tribe of the Iroquois Confederacy, known for their traditional territory in present-day New York and Quebec.

Six Nations of the Grand River

The largest First Nations reserve in Canada, located in Ontario.