Kevin Costner has paid tribute to his Dances With Wolves co-star Graham Greene, who sadly passed away at the age of 73, as the Hollywood actor shared a heartfelt message
Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner has spoken out following the death of his co-star Graham Greene, sharing an emotional tribute to the late performer on Instagram.
The 70 year old star commemorated Graham’s death by posting a clip from Dances With Wolves, the film that brought the two actors together.
He penned a moving tribute that stated: “A few things come to mind when I think of Graham Greene and our time together on Dances With Wolves.
“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,” reports the Express.
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Concluding his message, Costner finished his tribute on a poignant note, writing: “I’m grateful to have been witness to this part of his lasting legacy. Rest in peace, Graham.”
The celebrated actor enjoyed a distinguished career that stretched across almost 50 years, appearing in major films, TV shows, and stage performances.
He is most fondly remembered for playing Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner’s Dances with Wolves, a performance that secured him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1990. Sadly, he passed away in a Toronto hospital on Sunday afternoon, his agent confirmed.
Although no cause of death was given, it’s understood that Greene had been ill for some time.
Adding to the tragedy, Greene had hoped to speak with Costner as his final wish before his death, but unfortunately, this was not possible.
His representative, Michael Greene, revealed that the late actor’s last wish was to thank the Yellowstone star for his portrayal of native people in the media over the years, as reported by TMZ.
Regrettably, despite efforts from his team to reach out to Costner’s representatives, they were unable to establish contact with Kevin.
Greene began his acting career in 1976 with television roles, and made his film debut in the 1983 sports drama Running Brave. This led to his participation in Revolution, a British historical drama released in 1985.
His big break came with Dances With Wolves, Costner’s directorial debut and one of the highest-grossing films of 1990. The Western film received widespread praise and won seven Oscars that year,.
However, Greene missed out on the Best Supporting Actor award to Joe Pesci for his performance in Goodfellas.
Despite this, Dances with Wolves catapulted the Ontario-born actor to stardom, landing him roles in 90s blockbusters such as Thunderheart, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and The Green Mile. Greene also starred in Snow Dogs, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Wind River, Molly’s Game, and TV series like American Gods and Riverdale, among many other roles.