Graham Greene, an Oscar-nominated Indigenous actor who called Stratford home, died on Monday after an illness.
Greene performed on stage at the Stratford Festival as Lenny in Of Mice and Men and Shylock in Merchant of Venice.
The Festival called his time on the stage, “one unforgettable season in 2007”, in a post on social media today.
“As Shylock he brought a painful dignity and sharp intellect to the part,” Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino recalled. “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 perhaps best known for his performance on the big screen in Dances With Wolves, which earned him a best supporting actor nomination.
He worked alongside Hollywood titans including Kevin Costner in Dances with Wolves, Tom Hanks in the Green Mile, Val Kilmer in Thunderheart and Jessica Chastain in Molly’s Game.
He also appeared in Die Hard With A Vengeance alongside Bruce Willis.
Cimolino said despite his fame and many accomplishments Greene as a colleague was genuinely humble and friendly – and he loved to share a laugh with his fellow players.
“He was generous in sharing his experience and knowledge of the skills of our craft with young actors. He brought with him a bigger artistic world but also a recognition that staying true to oneself is essential to a performer.
“We have lost a brilliant actor, a wonderful neighbour and a good friend.”
Greene is a member of the Order of Canada.
He was inducted into the Canada Walk of Fame in 2022 at a ceremony in Stratford.
Originally from Oshweken on the Six Nations Reserve, Greene said during his acceptance speech that Stratford was a place he returned to after every journey, and there was nowhere else he wanted to live.
