Canadian actor Graham Greene, who died Monday, is being remembered by a wide range of his acting and filmmaking colleagues. Kevin Costner, who directed him to a supporting actor Oscar nomination and co-starred with him in “Dances With Wolves,” paid tribute on Instagram Tuesday.
“A few things come to mind when I think of Graham Greene and our time together on ‘Dances With Wolves,’” he wrote.
“I think of how willing he was to learn the Lakota language. I think of my joy when I heard that his work on the film was recognized with an @theacademy Awards nomination. And I think of this scene in particular, when he was able to establish so much about the relationship between Dunbar and the natives with so few words. He was a master at work and a wonderful human being.”
Costner is describing the scene where his character sees a herd of buffalo and wants to alert the Native people, but comes up against a language barrier. After he and Greene’s character go back and forth, they come to a mutual understanding of the meaning of the word.
The 1990 film, which won the best picture Oscar, was acclaimed for depicting a more nuanced and sensitive portrayal of Indigenous people as complex characters than was seen in earlier Westerns.
“I’m grateful to have been witness to this part of his lasting legacy. Rest in peace, Graham,” Costner concluded.
Other peers who paid tribute to the pioneering Native actor include Lou Diamond Phillips and Gil Birmingham.
Phillips, who was in both “Wolf Lake” and “Longmire” with the late actor, called him “an actor’s actor. One of the wittiest, wiliest, warmest people I’ve ever known. Iconic and legendary.”
“Twilight” actor Birmingham wrote, “We have lost a man of incredible talent who made a positive impact on Native representation in film, inspiring a new generation of Native actors. His great heart was only matched by his wickedly funny sense of humor.”
