Dances With Wolves icon Graham Greene has died aged 73 after a long illness.

The celebrated actor, known for his nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award due to his portrayal of Kicking Bird in the 1990 epic featuring Kevin Costner, died on Monday in a hospital in Toronto.

His representative told Deadline: ‘He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed.’ 

‘You are finally free. Susan Smith is meeting you at the gates of heaven,’ he added, referencing the actor’s longtime agent who died in 2013.

Greene was known as an acting trailblazer, who raised the profile of Indigenous actors in Hollywood. 

He married wife Hillary Blackmore in 1990 and the pair shared four children. 

Dances With Wolves icon Graham Greene has died aged 73 after a long illness – pictured 2022

The celebrated actor, recognized for his nomination for the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in the 1990 epic with Kevin Costner (pictured R), died on Monday in a hospital in Toronto.

Greene played Marlon in The Last of Us in 2023

Greene, who was of Oneida First Nation and Canadian heritage, was born on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario. Before venturing into acting, he worked as a welder, draftsman, and steelworker.

His television debut was in an episode of The Great Detective in 1979, followed by his film debut in 1983’s Running Brave.

He achieved international recognition in Dances With Wolves for his role as the Sioux Medicine Man Kicking Bird, in a film directed by Costner, who also starred as Lt. John J. Dunbar.

In an interview with CineMoovie, Greene shared a story of being thrown from a horse during filming, humorously stating that he preferred to get back at the animal rather than take a break from the shoot.

He also mentioned the challenges he faced in learning to speak the Lakota language, commenting, ‘I couldn’t figure out their language structure. It’s completely different from English or French.’

He would later make light of his role when he appeared on comedy show The Red Green Show as Edgar “K.B.” Montrose.

When asked what he thought of Dances With Wolves, he quipped: ‘The native guy [Kicking Bird] was OK. Should have gotten the Oscar. But the rest of it was a yawn!’

In 1999 he played death row inmate Arlen Bitterbuck alongside Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan. 

He shot to worldwide fame as the Sioux Medicine Man in Dances With Wolves – which Costner directed and starred in as Lt. John J. Dunbar 

Greene was known as an acting trailblazer, who raised the profile of Indigenous actors in Hollywood – pictured 2002

In 1999 he played death row inmate Arlen Bitterbuck alongside Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan

The star is pictured in 1992 film Thunderheart

Bitterbuck was a Native American who was found guilty of killing another man during an extremely violent bar fight over a pair of boots.

Greene also starred in Oscar-nominated Felicity Huffman film Transamerica in 2005 as well as 2009’s The Twilight Saga: New Moon.

His other roles include Maverick (1994) with Mel Gibson and Jodie Foster as well as Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995) with Bruce Willis, and Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game (2017) with Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba and Costner. 

His television appearances include Sylvester Stallone’s Tulsa King and The Last Of Us. 

Besides his Oscar nomination, Greene also won a Grammy, a Gemini, and a Canadian Screen Award. He was also nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.

Earlier this year, was honored with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in his native country.

He also has a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

One of Greene’s final roles was on FX’s series Reservation Dogs, a show that fittingly continued his legacy of breaking barriers for Indigenous talent in Hollywood. 

Greene’s final completed project is the upcoming thriller Ice Fall, which also stars Joel Kinnaman and is set to premiere October 16.