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Graham Greene (actor)

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Graham Greene
CM
Greene in 1998
Born (1952-06-22) June 22, 1952 (age 72)
Six Nations Reserve, Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada
NationalityOneida
Canadian
OccupationActor
Years active1979–present
Spouse
Hilary Blackmore
​
(m. 1994)​

Graham Greene, CM (born June 22, 1952) is a Canadian actor who has worked on stage, in film, and in TV productions in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Dances with Wolves (1990). Other notable films include Thunderheart (1992), Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), Skins (2002), Transamerica (2005), Casino Jack (2010), Winter's Tale (2014), The Shack (2017), Wind River (2017) and Shadow Wolves (2019).

Early life and career

Greene is an Oneida born in Ohsweken, on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario, the son of Lillian and John Greene, who was a paramedic and maintenance man.[1] He lived in Hamilton, Ontario, as a young man.[2]

His first brushes with the entertainment industry came when he worked as an audio technician for rock bands based in Newfoundland and Labrador, when he went by the alias "Mabes". He graduated from the Toronto-based Centre for Indigenous Theatre's Native Theatre School program in 1974. Soon after, he began performing in professional theatre in Toronto and England.[citation needed]

Career

His TV debut was in an episode of The Great Detective in 1979, and his screen debut was in 1983 in Running Brave. He appeared in such films as Revolution and Powwow Highway, as well as the First Nations' CBC TV series Spirit Bay. It was his Academy Award–nominated role as Kicking Bird (Lakota: Ziŋtká Nagwáka) in the 1990 film Dances with Wolves that brought him fame.

He followed this role with work in films including Thunderheart, Benefit of the Doubt, and Maverick, and television series Northern Exposure and The Red Green Show. Greene also acted alongside Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson in the 1995 film Die Hard with a Vengeance, where he played Detective Joe Lambert. He hosted the reality crime documentary show Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science.

Greene co-starred as Slick Nakai with Adam Beach and Wes Studi in the film A Thief of Time (2004) and Coyote Waits, both adapted from Tony Hillerman novels of the same names and produced by Robert Redford. In 1992, Greene played the role of Ishi, the last Yahi, in the HBO drama The Last of His Tribe.[3] He appeared that year in the contemporary action-mystery film, Thunderheart (1992), playing Walter Crow Horse, a gruff, savvy local cop living on an Indian reservation.

In 1994, he began appearing as Mr. Crabby Tree in the children's series The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, for which he received the Gemini Award. Poltergeist The Legacy: Finding Richter aired May 9, 1997. In 1997, Greene suffered a major depressive episode, and had to be hospitalized after a police encounter. He recovered after help from Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson. Greene was featured as Arlen Bitterbuck, a Native American convicted of murder, awaiting execution on death row in the Oscar-nominated The Green Mile (1999). He starred in the short-lived television series Wolf Lake in 2001. In 2002 and 2004, he co-starred in two made-for-TV films that were an attempt at launching a revival of the long-running Canadian series The Beachcombers. In 2005, he played the potential love interest of the female lead in Transamerica. He appeared as himself in a parody of the famous Lakota-brand pain reliever commercials, on CBC Television's Rick Mercer Report.[4]

In 2006, Greene presented the documentary series The War that Made America, about the Seven Years' War (French and Indian War) of the mid–18th century in North America. In 2007, he appeared as Shylock in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of The Merchant of Venice as well as Breakfast with Scot. In June 2008, he was awarded an honorary doctor of law degree from the Brantford campus of Wilfrid Laurier University located near the Six Nations reserve he is from.[5]

Greene provided the pre-recorded narration for Tecumseh!, the highly acclaimed outdoor show held in Ohio, based upon the life of the illustrious Shawnee chief of that name. He portrayed Sitting Bull in a short Historica vignette.[6]

He was a guest star in an episode of the TV series Numb3rs, as a First Nations chief. He also guest-starred on multiple occasions on The Red Green Show as Edgar "K.B." Montrose, an explosives enthusiast. In one episode of "The Red Green Show" (season 5, episode 1) he was asked what he thought of the movie Dances with Wolves. Greene's reply was that "...the native guy (himself as 'Kicking Bird') was OK. Should have gotten the Oscar. But the rest of it was a yawn!"[7]

Greene has also been a guest on the sketch comedy show Royal Canadian Air Farce.[8]

He appeared in The Twilight Saga: New Moon as Harry Clearwater, Charlie Swan's old friend. He appeared as Malachi Strand in Longmire, which ran for six seasons from 2012 to 2017 on A&E and Netflix. He played Rafe McCawley in the science fiction series Defiance, which ran for three seasons from 2013 to 2015. He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015.[9]

In 2018, Greene provided the voice of the beleaguered Native-American elder Chief Rains Fall in the western-themed video game Red Dead Redemption 2.[10]

Greene appeared in Amazon's series Goliath.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1983 Running Brave Eddie
1985 Revolution Ongwata
1989 Powwow Highway Vietnam Veteran
1990 Dances with Wolves Kicking Bird
1991 Clearcut Arthur
1992 Thunderheart Walter Crow Horse
Rain Without Thunder Author on History
1993 Benefit of the Doubt Calhoun
1994 Camilla Hunt Weller
Savage Land Skyano
Maverick Joseph
North Alaskan Dad
1995 Die Hard with a Vengeance Detective Joe Lambert
1997 The Education of Little Tree Willow John
1998 Shattered Image Detective
1999 Grey Owl Jim Bernard
The Green Mile Arlen Bitterbuck
Misery Harbour Burly
2000 Desire Connor
2001 Lost and Delirious Joe Menzies
Christmas in the Clouds Earl
2002 Duct Tape Forever Edgar K. B. Montrose
Snow Dogs Peter Yellowbear
Skins Mogie Yellow Lodge
2004 Phil the Alien Wolf
2005 Transamerica Calvin Many Goats
2007 All Hat Jim Burns
Just Buried Henry Sanipass
Breakfast with Scot Bud Wilson
2008 Turok: Son of Stone Lost Land Shaman / Elder #1 Voice role
2009 The Twilight Saga: New Moon Harry Clearwater
2010 Casino Jack Bernie Sprague
Gunless Two Dogs
2013 Chasing Shakespeare Mr. Mountain
Atlantic Rim Admiral Hadley Direct to video
Maïna Mishte-Napeu
2014 Winter's Tale Humpstone John
Corner Gas: The Movie Fisherman
2017 Wind River Ben
The Shack Male Papa
Molly's Game Judge Dustin Foxman
2018 Through Black Spruce Leo
2019 Astronaut Len
2020 A Dark Foe The Cradle
2021 Antlers Warren Stokes
Defining Moments Dr. Kelly
The Wolf and the Lion Joe

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1981 Read All About It! John Norton 1 episode
1986 Spirit Bay Pete "Baba" Green 1 episode
1986-1988 The Campbells Iroquois Chief 3 episodes
1987 Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future Cherokee 1 episode
1987 Street Legal Paulo 1 episode
1988 9B Dan Jackson Miniseries, 5 episodes
1989 Where the Spirit Lives Komi's Father Television film
1991 L.A. Law Dan Wauneka 1 episode
1992; 1994 Murder, She Wrote Sheriff Sam Keeyani / Peter Henderson 2 episodes
1992 The Last of His Tribe Ishi Television film
1992-1993 Northern Exposure Leonard Recurring role, 5 episodes
1993 Cooperstown Raymond Maracle Television film
1993 North of 60 Rico Nez 1 episode
1993 The Broken Chain Peace Maker (Spirit) Television film
1994-1997 The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon Mr. Crabby Tree Recurring role, 17 episodes
1994-2006 The Red Green Show Edgar K. B. Montrose Recurring role, 19 episodes
1994 Lonesome Dove: The Series Red Hawk 3 episodes
1995 Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child Chief Brown Bear Voice role, 1 episode
1996 The Outer Limits Chief Weapons Officer 1 episode
1996 The Pathfinder Chingachgook Television film
1997-2001 Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science Himself - Host Main role, 65 episodes
2000 Big Wolf on Campus Ferryman 1 episode
2000-2001 Cover Me Michael Nighthorse 4 episodes
2001-2002 Wolf Lake Mr. Sherman Blackstone Main role, 9 episodes
2002 The New Beachcombers Colin Reid Television film
2003 Mister Sterling Senior Senator Jackson 1 episode
2003 Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion Elijah Cobb Miniseries, 2 episodes
2005 The Collector George 1 episode
2005 Spirit Bear: The Simon Jackson Story Lloyd Blackburn Television film
2005 Into the West Conquering Bear Miniseries, 1 episode
2005 Numb3rs Chief James Clearwater 1 episode
2005 Buffalo Dreams John Blackhorse Television film
2006 This is Wonderland Paul Hilliard 1 episode
2010-2011 Being Erica Dr. Arthur Recurring role, 5 episodes
2013 Family Tree Chief Running Bull 1 episode
2013-2015 Defiance Rafe McCawley Main role, 28 episodes
2014-2017 Longmire Malachi Strand Recurring role, 12 episodes
2018 Riverdale Thomas Topaz 1 episode
2018 The Detour Narvin 3 episodes
2019 Project Blue Book David 1 episode
2019 Goliath Littlecrow Recurring role, 7 episodes
2021 American Gods Whiskey Jack 2 episodes
2022 1883 Spotted Eagle Miniseries, 1 episode
2023 The Last of Us Marlon Upcoming series
2023 Echo Upcoming series

Video games

Year Title Role Notes
2018 Red Dead Redemption 2 Rains Fall Voice only

Awards and nominations

Years Award Category Film Result
1991 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Dances with Wolves Nominated
1994 Gemini Awards Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon Won
Gemini Awards Best Performance in a Children's or Youth Program or Series North of 60 Nominated
2000 Grammy Awards Best Spoken Word Album for Children Listen to the Storyteller Won
2004 Gemini Awards Earle Grey Award Lifetime Achievement Won
2006 Reelworld Film Festival Visionary Award Lifetime Achievement Won[11]
2016 RNCI Red Nation Awards Outstanding Supporting Actor Longmire Won

See also

References

  1. ^ "Graham Greene bio". Encyclopedia of World Biography. April 18, 2006.
  2. ^ Hemsworth, Wade (April 18, 2006). "The Greatest Hamiltonian". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2007.
  3. ^ Higgins, Bill (March 20, 1992). "Makers of HBO's 'Tribe' Given a Warm Reception". Los Angeles Times.
  4. ^ Jeremy Odden (March 22, 2012), Graham Greene as Edgar Montrose references Dances With Wolves, archived from the original on November 9, 2019, retrieved January 1, 2018
  5. ^ "Wilfrid Laurier Headlines". Archived from the original on July 21, 2015. Retrieved March 13, 2015.
  6. ^ "First Nations: Sitting Bull". Historica. Archived from the original on March 17, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2007.
  7. ^ Jeremy Odden (September 15, 2020), Graham Greene as Edgar Montrose references Dances With Wolves, archived from the original on December 11, 2021, retrieved November 16, 2020
  8. ^ "» The Royal Canadian Air Farce". Canadian Comedy Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on January 3, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; July 30, 2022 suggested (help)
  9. ^ "Four Nova Scotians among Order of Canada honourees". The Chronicle-Herald. July 1, 2015. Archived from the original on July 1, 2015. Retrieved August 22, 2021.
  10. ^ Goldberg, Harold (October 14, 2018). "The Making of Rockstar Games' Red Dead Redemption 2". Vulture. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  11. ^ "TorontoHispano.com - ReelWorld Film Festival, April 2006". www.torontohispano.com. Archived from the original on June 19, 2006.
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