Oscar-nominated actor Graham Greene has died

The Dance With Wolves star passed away aged 73

According to his agent, Michael Greene, The Green Mile star died with his wife, Hilary Blackmore, by his side.

He said in a statement: "He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed. You are finally free."

He added a reference to Greene's late former agent: "Susan Smith is meeting you at the gates of heaven."

Even though Michael Greene didn't reveal the actor's cause of death, it is believed he died after a long illness.

Many will know the actor for his standout roles Dances With Wolves (1990), where he played Kicking Bird.

He later appeared in Die Hard With A Vengeance (1995), The Green Mile (1999) and Winter's Tale (2014).

Greene first entered the industry by appearing in Canadian and English theatre productions in the 1970s.

He then first broke into TV, making his debut in Canadian drama The Great Detective in 1979.

It was four years later that he appeared in his first movie, Running Brave.

However, it was Kevin Costner's Dances With Wolves which truly led his career to take off.

He earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for the beloved Western.

The film itself won 7 out of 12 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.

In the 90s he received praise for his appearance as Mel Gibson's sidekick in Maverick. And only a year later, Greene joined forces with Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis in Die Hard With A Vengeance.

The more recently, he featured in The Twilight Saga (2009).

During his decades-long career, Greene played a variety of roles. Speaking to Salon in 2021, Greene said: "I tend to move along in my career and take roles that are unique and different.

"I’ve played God twice. I’ve played judges, lawyers, doctors, police officers, and detectives.

"The diversity of roles is what I like to play. I don’t like to be pigeonholed as one thing because you get stuck in one role."

Upon hearing the news, tributes started flooding in on social media.

One fan said: "RIP Graham Greene. He was one of those wonderful actors that I always enjoyed seeing in anything.

"He had a warmth and presence that instantly improved whatever he was in.

"I especially loved when he got the chance to show his great sense of humor. Excellent in any genre."

In 2008, Greene was awarded an honorary degree from the Brantford Campus of Wilfrid Laurier University.

Then in 2015, he became a Member of the Order of Canada in the 2015 Canadian honours.