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Graham Greene, CM (born June 22, 1952) is an Oscar-nominated
Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
actor who has worked on stage, in film, and in TV productions in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He has achieved international fame for participating in
Kevin Costner Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
's ''
Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel ''Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the s ...
'' (1990), which earned him an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination. Other notable films include ''
Thunderheart ''Thunderheart'' is a 1992 American Neo-Western mystery film directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay by John Fusco. The film is a loosely based fictional portrayal of events relating to the Wounded Knee incident in 1973, when followers of ...
'' (1992), ''
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...
'' (1994), ''
Die Hard with a Vengeance ''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' is a 1995 American action thriller film directed by John McTiernan (who directed the first installment). It was written by Jonathan Hensleigh, based on the screenplay ''Simon Says'' by Hensleigh and on the chara ...
'' (1995), '' The Green Mile'' (1999), '' Skins'' (2002), '' Transamerica'' (2005), ''
Casino Jack ''Casino Jack'' (known in certain territories as ''Bagman'') is a 2010 comedy-drama thriller film directed by George Hickenlooper and starring Kevin Spacey. The film focuses on the career of Washington, D.C. lobbyist and businessman Jack Abramof ...
'' (2010), ''
Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...
'' (2014), '' The Shack'' (2017), '' Wind River'' (2017) and ''Shadow Wolves'' (2019).


Early life and career

Greene is an
Oneida Oneida may refer to: Native American/First Nations * Oneida people, a Native American/First Nations people and one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy * Oneida language * Oneida Indian Nation, based in New York * Oneida Na ...
born in Ohsweken, on the
Six Nations Reserve Six Nations (or Six Nations of the Grand River, french: Réserve des Six Nations, see, Ye:i’ Níónöëdzage:h) is demographically the largest First Nations reserve in Canada. As of the end of 2017, it has a total of 27,276 members, 12,848 of w ...
in
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
, the son of Lillian and John Greene, who was a paramedic and maintenance man. He lived in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
, as a young man. Before moving into acting, he worked as a draftsman, steelworker and welder. He noted:
"...I was a welder because once you put your helmet down and struck the arc...they wouldn't bother you...And there was a fear of getting laid off when the contract runs out. If I'm going to be looking for work, I'd rather be acting".
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". According to Greene, musician Kelly Jay repeatedly pestered him to try out for a play. He told Jay, "Look, I’m not interested. We’ll cut cards. If I win, leave me alone. If you win, I’ll do the damn thing." After drawing a two of clubs, he relented. A common misconception is that he graduated from the Toronto-based
Centre for Indigenous Theatre The Centre for Indigenous Theatre is a non-for profit theater educational institution located in Toronto, Ontario. It focuses on performance art from an Indigenous cultural foundation. History James H. Buller founded the Centre in 1974 as the ...
's Native Theatre School program. As he noted in a 2012 interview, he "helped run it, as executive director of a school-supporting local arts organization". By the 1970's he began performing in professional theatre in Toronto and England and in 1976 he participated in the
University of Western Ontario The University of Western Ontario (UWO), also known as Western University or Western, is a Public university, public research university in London, Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land, surrounded by resident ...
's touring workshop performance of
James Reaney James Crerar Reaney, (September 1, 1926 – June 11, 2008) was a Canadian poet, playwright, librettist, and professor, "whose works transform small-town Ontario life into the realm of dream and symbol." Reaney won Canada's highest literary a ...
's ''Wacousta.'' His television debut was in an episode of ''
The Great Detective ''The Great Detective'' is a Canadian television drama, which aired on CBC from 1979 to 1982. It starred Douglas Campbell and James Dugan. Background ''The Great Detective'' was inspired by the exploits of John Wilson Murray, Canada's first ...
'' in 1979, and his screen debut was in 1983 in ''
Running Brave ''Running Brave'' is a Canadian biographical sports drama film released in 1983 based on the story of Billy Mills, a member or the Oglala Sioux tribe located in South Dakota. Mills was born on the reservation, and later attended the University of ...
''. On viewing his first television role, Greene stated that it was "awful", and that it prompted him to start learning to act as a profession.


Career


Theatre

Greene frequently worked at the
Native Earth Performing Arts Native Earth Performing Arts is a Canadian theatre company located in Toronto, Ontario. Founded in 1982, Native Earth is Canada's oldest professional Indigenous theatre company. Native Earth is dedicated to developing, producing and presenting pro ...
, and is well known for his performance in ''
Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing ''Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing'' is a play by Canadian writer Tomson Highway ( Cree), which premiered in 1989 at Theatre Passe-Muraille in Toronto. Character List * Nanabush (playing the spirit of Gazelle Nataways, Patsy Pegahmagahbow, and ...
'' as the affable drunk Pierre St. Pierre. He has also performed in
The Crackwalker
' and '' History of the Village of the Small Huts.'' In 2007, he appeared as Shylock in the Stratford Shakespeare Festival production of ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan provided by a Jewish moneylender, Shylock. Although classified as ...
'' as well as ''
Breakfast with Scot ''Breakfast with Scot'' is a 2007 Canadian comedy film. It is adapted from the 1999 novel by Tufts University professor Michael Downing. The screenplay was adapted by Sean Reycraft from the book by Michael Downing, and the film was directed by L ...
''.


Television

In 1984 and 1986, Greene appeared in the First Nations' CBC TV series ''
Spirit Bay ''Spirit Bay'' was an aboriginal family television show of 13 half-hour episodes that aired on CBC Television and TVOntario from 1982 to 1987. The show focuses on the lives of townsfolk on an Ojibwe reservation town near MacDiarmid, Ontario. Here, ...
'' as Pete "Baba" Green. The show was one of the first to show aboriginal life and the interactions between the native and white cultures. In the early 1990s he found guest-star work several television series. As Leonard Quinhagak on ''
Northern Exposure ''Northern Exposure'' is an American Northern comedy-drama television series about the eccentric residents of a fictional small town in Alaska that ran on CBS from July 12, 1990, to July 26, 1995, with a total of 110 episodes. It received 57 ...
'' he portrayed a
shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...
that helped care for the residents. As a practitioner of shamanism, his character came into direct conflict with the show's other doctor, a traditionally trained professional that (initially) had little use for unorthodox ways.


The Red Green Show

He was cast ''as'' Edgar "K.B." Montrose, an explosives enthusiast, on ''
The Red Green Show ''The Red Green Show'' is a Canadian television comedy that aired on various channels in Canada, with its ultimate home at CBC Television, and on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the United States (airing on more than 100 PBS affiliates a ...
''. His character was asked what he thought of the movie ''Dances with Wolves,'' replying "...the native guy (himself as 'Kicking Bird') was OK. Should have gotten the Oscar. But the rest of it was a yawn!" Greene would portray this character periodically for the entire run of series, from 1994 through 2006. In 1992, Greene played the role of
Ishi Ishi ( – March 25, 1916) was the last known member of the Native American Yahi people from the present-day state of California in the United States. The rest of the Yahi (as well as many members of their parent tribe, the Yana) were kill ...
, the last
Yahi The Yana were a group of Native Americans indigenous to Northern California in the central Sierra Nevada, on the western side of the range. Their lands, prior to encroachment by white settlers, bordered the Pit and Feather rivers. They w ...
, in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
drama ''
The Last of His Tribe ''The Last of His Tribe'' is a 1992 American television film, made-for-television drama (film and television), drama film based on the book ''Ishi in Two Worlds'' by Theodora Kroeber which relates the experiences of her husband Alfred L. Kroeber w ...
,'' and in 1994, he began appearing as Mr. Crabby Tree in the children's series ''
The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon ''The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon'' is a Canadian children's television series which aired on YTV in Canada and on public television stations (through Tampa, Florida PBS member station WEDU) in the United States. It aired from 1993 to 1997 ...
.'' When asked how he landed the role resulting in being ensconced in a foam tree costume, he stated "‘Well, never answer the phone before 9 a.m. I was lounging around the house doing nothing, I told my agent I need some work. I got offered Mr. Crabby Tree, said sure." Greene guested on the sketch comedy show
Royal Canadian Air Farce The Royal Canadian Air Farce was a comedy troupe that was active from 1973 to 2019. It is best known for their various Canadian Broadcasting Corporation series, first on CBC Radio and later on CBC Television. Although their weekly radio series ...
in 1994. Between 1997 and 2001 he hosted the reality crime documentary show '' Exhibit A: Secrets of Forensic Science''. He starred in the short-lived television series ''
Wolf Lake ''Wolf Lake'' is an American supernatural drama television series that originally aired on CBS from September 19 to October 24, 2001. Nine episodes were produced, but only five aired before the series was canceled by CBS. The full series, includ ...
'' in 2001 as Sherman Blackstone along
Lou Diamond Phillips Louis Diamond Phillips ( born Upchurch; February 17, 1962) is a Filipino-American actor and film director. His breakthrough came when he starred as Ritchie Valens in the biographical drama film '' La Bamba'' (1987). For ''Stand and Deliver'' (19 ...
. 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 ''The Beachcombers'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that ran on CBC Television from October 1, 1972, to December 12, 1990. With over 350 episodes, it is one of the longest-running dramatic series ever made for English-language Canad ...
''. He also guest starred in five episodes of ''
Being Erica ''Being Erica'' is a Canadian comedy-drama television series that aired on CBC from January 5, 2009, to December 12, 2011. Created by Jana Sinyor, the series was originally announced by the CBC as ''The Session'', but was later retitled ''Bei ...
'' as Dr. Arthur in 2010-11. He appeared as himself in a parody of the famous Lakota-brand pain reliever commercials, on
CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
's ''
Rick Mercer Report ''Rick Mercer Report'' (also called the ''Mercer Report'' or ''RMR'') is a Canadian television comedy series which aired on CBC Television from 2004 to 2018. Launched in 2004, as ''Rick Mercer's Monday Report'', or simply ''Monday Report'', by ...
''. In 2006, Greene presented the documentary series ''
The War that Made America ''The War that Made America'' is a PBS miniseries (produced by WQED Pittsburgh) about the French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the ...
'', about the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
(
French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
) of the mid–18th century in North America. He was a guest star in an episode of the TV series ''
Numb3rs ''Numbers'' (stylized as ''NUMB3RS'') is an American crime drama television series that was broadcast on CBS from January 23, 2005, to March 12, 2010, for six seasons and 118 episodes. The series was created by Nicolas Falacci and Cheryl Heuton ...
'', as a
First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...
chief. At the urging of actor Lou Diamond Phillips, Greene was cast as a recurring guest star on '' Longmire'', which ran for six seasons from 2012 to 2017 on A&E and
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. As Malachi Strand, Greene was able to enjoy playing a villian, with the actor stating "Playing villains is fun. Being nice all the time; it’s boring".


Movies


Dances with Wolves

Greene's
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
–nominated role as Kicking Bird (
Lakota Lakota may refer to: * Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language, the language of the Lakota peoples Place names In the United States: * Lakota, Iowa * Lakota, North Dakota, seat of Nelson County * La ...
: ''Ziŋtká Nagwáka'') in the 1990 film ''
Dances with Wolves ''Dances with Wolves'' is a 1990 American epic western film starring, directed, and produced by Kevin Costner in his feature directorial debut. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 novel ''Dances with Wolves'' by Michael Blake that tells the s ...
'' showcased his talents to audiences beyond his native Canada. In an interview with CineMovie, Greene recounts a story of being tossed from a horse during production. When director Costner asked if he wanted a break, the actor retorted that he was more interested in finding the horse for payback. He stated that it was difficult for him to learn how to speak the Lakota language properly. Having not grown up speaking a native language, he said "...‘I couldn’t figure out how they ordered their language. Its structure is totally foreign to English or French." Intensively studying and working with a dialect coach finally succeeded. As noted in a 1994 Playback interview,
"Greene struggled to learn the language phonetically, sitting in his hotel room for eight hours a day. He had tapes, and a dialogue coach who was with him and on his case every second. It took him two weeks to learn all the dialogue, 'then I’d work in my hotel room until two in the morning, going through the speeches. Next morning I couldn’t remember any of it! I was nearly in tears!’ He’d go back to the beginning, and slowly, finally it came."
The actor stated that he had no troubles with Costner as a director, with one exception:
“He did fine,” Greene says. “We stayed out of his way and let him make his decisions. I only questioned him once,
hen Kicking Bird Hen commonly refers to a female animal: a female chicken, other gallinaceous bird, any type of bird in general, or a lobster. It is also a slang term for a woman. Hen or Hens may also refer to: Places Norway *Hen, Buskerud, a village in Ringe ...
was going nuts looking for a peace pipe. I said, ‘He’s a medicine person. He would never lose a peace pipe. Why do you want me to do that?’ He said, ‘Because it looks good.’ I said, ‘Good enough.’”
In that same interview, he stated that being at the Academy Award ceremony was difficult. "I was scared to death. I thought, I don’t belong here! I’m just a poor, dumb country boy.", and he was particularly intimated by the other actors that surrounded him. "I’m in awe of good actors". He appeared in the contemporary action-mystery film, ''
Thunderheart ''Thunderheart'' is a 1992 American Neo-Western mystery film directed by Michael Apted from a screenplay by John Fusco. The film is a loosely based fictional portrayal of events relating to the Wounded Knee incident in 1973, when followers of ...
'' (1992), playing Walter Crow Horse, a gruff, savvy local cop living on an Indian reservation. He was quick to sign up for the movie, stating "I love The Badlands. My agent said, ‘I got a film for you. It’s in
South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
. And you have to ride a motorcycle.’ I said, ‘I’m in.’ ‘Want to read it?’ ‘Don’t have to'." In 1994's ''
Maverick Maverick, Maveric or Maverik may refer to: History * Maverick (animal), an unbranded range animal, derived from U.S. cattleman Samuel Maverick Aviation * AEA Maverick, an Australian single-seat sportsplane design * General Aviation Design Burea ...
,'' Greene elicited good reviews as the sidekick to
Mel Gibson Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocaly ...
. At a screening of the movie the
LA Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
noted that Greene, " s athoroughly modern Native American who exploits his position as a tourist attraction for Russian adventurers", got the most laughs. Greene also acted alongside
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
and
Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
in the 1995 film ''
Die Hard with a Vengeance ''Die Hard with a Vengeance'' is a 1995 American action thriller film directed by John McTiernan (who directed the first installment). It was written by Jonathan Hensleigh, based on the screenplay ''Simon Says'' by Hensleigh and on the chara ...
'', where he played Detective Joe Lambert.


The Green Mile

Greene was featured as Arlen Bitterbuck who was convicted of murder, awaiting execution on death row in the Oscar-nominated '' The Green Mile'' (1999). The character was an elder of the Washita Tribe and a member of a Cherokee Council, his nickname was "The Chief". The character's execution is the first witnessed in the movie, and is depicted from start to finish. As it is the first depiction of an execution in the movie, Greene's death is noted as being a fairly accurate portrayal of the procedure. Greene co-starred as Slick Nakai with
Adam Beach Adam Beach (born November 11, 1972) is a Canadian actor. He is best known for his roles as Victor Joseph in ''Smoke Signals'', Frank Fencepost in ''Dance Me Outside'', Tommy on ''Walker, Texas Ranger'', Kickin' Wing in ''Joe Dirt'', U.S. Marine C ...
and
Wes Studi Wesley Studi ( chr, ᏪᏌ ᏍᏚᏗ; born December 17, 1947) is a Native American ( Cherokee Nation) actor and film producer. He has garnered critical acclaim and awards throughout his career, particularly for his portrayal of Native American ...
in the film ''
A Thief of Time ''A Thief of Time'' is the eighth crime fiction novel Joe Leaphorn / Jim Chee Navajo Tribal Police series by Tony Hillerman, first published in 1988. It was adapted for television as part of the PBS ''Mystery!'' series in 2004. The story in ...
'' (2004) and ''
Coyote Waits The coyote (''Canis latrans'') is a species of canine native to North America. It is smaller than its close relative, the wolf, and slightly smaller than the closely related eastern wolf and red wolf. It fills much of the same ecological nich ...
'', both adapted from
Tony Hillerman Anthony Grove Hillerman (May 27, 1925 – October 26, 2008) was an American author of detective novels and nonfiction works, best known for his mystery novels featuring Navajo Nation Police officers Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee. Several of his work ...
novels of the same names and produced by
Robert Redford Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the List of awards and nominations received by Robert Redford, recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Awards, Academy Award from four nomi ...
.


Transamerica

In 2005, he played the potential love interest of the female lead in '' Transamerica''. A review of the movie praises Greene's performance as having "charming earthiness" but also notes that his character is allowed to find the transgendered character attractive as "he's allowed to be open-minded because he's a Navajo -- in other words, a spiritually open-minded outsider, as opposed to your typical Middle American." Greene worked with
Aaron Sorkin Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American playwright, screenwriter and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. Sorkin has earned an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, five Primetime E ...
on '' Molly's Gam''e in 2017. In his role as a judge, the actor recalled "Aaron, the director, was looking at me sitting behind the bench. I had a puzzled look on my face. He said, ‘Are you all right?’ I said, ‘Yeah. I’ve just never seen the bench from this side before.’” Greene was cast in the Marvel movie spin-off ''
Echo In audio signal processing and acoustics, an echo is a reflection of sound that arrives at the listener with a delay after the direct sound. The delay is directly proportional to the distance of the reflecting surface from the source and the lis ...
'' in 2022.


Other Work

Greene provided the pre-recorded narration for ''
Tecumseh Tecumseh ( ; October 5, 1813) was a Shawnee chief and warrior who promoted resistance to the expansion of the United States onto Native American lands. A persuasive orator, Tecumseh traveled widely, forming a Native American confederacy and ...
!'', the highly acclaimed outdoor show held in
Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...
, based upon the life of the illustrious
Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...
chief of that name. He portrayed
Sitting Bull Sitting Bull ( lkt, Tȟatȟáŋka Íyotake ; December 15, 1890) was a Hunkpapa Lakota leader who led his people during years of resistance against United States government policies. He was killed by Indian agency police on the Standing Rock I ...
in a short ''Historica'' vignette. 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 ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' is a 2018 action-adventure game developed and published by Rockstar Games. The game is the third entry in the ''Red Dead'' series and a prequel to the 2010 game ''Red Dead Redemption''. The story is set in 1899 and f ...
''.


Personal life

Greene and his wife Hilary Blackmore live outside of Toronto with a "small army of cats". They were married in 1990, and have four children together. He enjoys writing, building boats and playing golf, noting "I just want to go and play, I don't care who's looking. It's a game where you get to play against yourself". He has stated that he has no interest in migrating south to California for roles. "There’s no reason to live there. A working actor can live anywhere as long as you have a phone, a fax, and know where the airport is." Regarding his time playing Mr. Crabby Tree (and the follow up role in the pre-teen show ''
Eric's World ''Eric's World'' is a children's sitcom, which aired on a number of Canadian networks in 1990–1995, and was produced by Cambium Productions, running for five seasons. The show starred Eric Nagler, who had previously appeared on ''Sharon, Lois & ...
)'' he noted "I spent a year paying penance doing kids’ shows." When discussing roles of native people, Greene noted that he would like to see depictions of "his people" as more than stoic, "My people are very funny". In 1997, Greene suffered a
major depressive episode A major depressive episode (MDE) is a period characterized by the symptoms of major depressive disorder. Those affected primarily have a depressed mood for at least two weeks or more, and a loss of interest or pleasure in everyday activities. Other ...
, and had to be hospitalized after a police encounter. He recovered after help from
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and appeared in over a hundred films, gaining recognition as an action hero a ...
and
Samuel L. Jackson Samuel Leroy Jackson (born December 21, 1948) is an American actor and producer. One of the most widely recognized actors of his generation, the films in which he has appeared have collectively grossed over $27 billion worldwide, making him ...
. In June 2008, he was awarded an
honorary doctor An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
of law degree from the Brantford campus of
Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Brantford and Milton. The newer Brantford and Milton campuses are not considered satellite campuses ...
. He was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015.


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games


Awards and nominations


See also

*
Notable Aboriginal people of Canada Over the course of centuries, many Indigenous Canadians have played a critical role in shaping the history of Canada. From art and music, to law and government, to sports and war; Indigenous customs and culture have had a strong influences on ...


References


External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Greene, Graham 1952 births Canadian male film actors Canadian male voice actors Canadian male television actors Dora Mavor Moore Award winners First Nations male actors Canadian Screen Award winners Grammy Award winners Living people Oneida people Male actors from Hamilton, Ontario Male Western (genre) film actors People from the County of Brant Members of the Order of Canada Indspire Awards Audiobook narrators