Graham Greene, Ohsweken-born movie and TV star, dies in Stratford, Ont.

Actor Graham Greene is being remembered for his advocacy, heart and commitment to his community.

Tributes are pouring in following the death of an Ohsweken star whose career spanned decades.

Graham Greene was born on the Six Nations of the Grand River Reserve in 1952 and went on to captivate audiences with his work in film, television and video games.

He was best known for his Oscar-nominated role in Dances with Wolves, but he also appeared in The Green Mile, Reservation Dogs, Longmire, Defiance, The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, the Twilight film franchise and, most recently, The Last of Us. He even broke into the gaming world by lending his voice to the critically acclaimed Red Dead Redemption.

Closer to home, he appeared on the famous Stratford Festival stage during its 2007 season. He moved audiences with his portrayals of Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and Lennie in Of Mice and Men.

“As Shylock, he brought a painful dignity and sharp intellect to the part,” Antoni Cimolino, Stratford Festival’s artistic director, said in a social media post. “From the moment he entered, we knew we were in the presence of a star. His Lennie was heartbreaking in his childlike innocence. We were completely won over by his simple warmth and consequently devastated as the play progressed.”

Greene was inducted onto Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2021, but instead of heading to Toronto, a ceremony was held for him at the Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford, where his star is still displayed to this day.

During a special event in his honour, he spoke about some of the more unusual jobs he had in entertainment business.

“I was a welder, an iron worker, carpenter, a carpet layer, draftsman, civil technologist,” he said.

Greene’s advice for anyone looking to get started in the business – follow your intuition.

“If you want to do what you want to do, do it,” he said. “Don’t listen to anyone who says you shouldn’t be doing that. Do what’s in your heart”

As part of his induction into Canada’s Walk of Fame, Greene received a $10,000 donation to the charity or cause of his choice. He chose Stratford Perth Humane Society and Alley Cat Café as the beneficiaries and each received $5,000. A news release said Greene once ran a one-person cat rescue that socialized and placed 26 stray cats and kittensinto new homes.

Greene was also named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015.

“With talent and natural presence, he has broken the mould that previously typecast Aboriginal characters and has blazed a trail for the next generation of actors,” the recognition read.

Earlier this year, Greene was awarded the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award.

He also held an honourary degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and won a Grammy Award for Listen to the Storyteller, a spoken word album for children.

Greene died Monday at the age of 73 after a long illness.