TORONTO, Sept 2 — Graham Greene, the trailblazing Canadian First Nations actor who opened doors for Indigenous actors in Hollywood, has died at 73 after a long illness, Deadline reported.

Greene died September 1 in a Toronto hospital, his agent Michael Greene (no relation) confirmed.

“He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed,” the agent said in a statement as reported by Deadline.

“You are finally free. Susan Smith is meeting you at the gates of heaven,” he added, referencing the actor’s longtime agent who died in 2013.

Born on June 22, 1952 in Ohsweken on the Six Nations Reserve, Greene worked odd jobs before turning to acting. He began on stage in the 1970s and made his screen debut in 1979 in The Great Detective.

His first film was Running Brave in 1983.

His breakthrough came when Kevin Costner cast him as Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves (1990).

The role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, with the film winning seven Oscars including Best Picture.

Deadline noted that Greene went on to build a steady Hollywood career with roles in Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and Molly’s Game (2017). He also starred in Thunderheart (1992), Transamerica (2005) and Wind River (2017).

On television, Greene appeared in Paramount+ series 1883 and Tulsa King, and had main or recurring roles in Wolf Lake, Defiance, Marvel’s Echo, Northern Exposure, Longmire and American Gods.

He received multiple accolades during his career, including a Grammy, Gemini and Canadian Screen Award, as well as a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame.

Deadline reported earlier this year, he was honoured with the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in his native country.

One of Greene’s final roles was in FX’s Reservation Dogs, which built on his legacy of breaking barriers for Indigenous talent.

He also has a completed thriller, Ice Fall, yet to be released.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Hilary Blackmore; daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene; and grandson Tarlo.