Graham Greene's Top 10 Iconic Film Roles: A Tribute to a Legend
Graham Greene was the Canadian actor I have always enjoyed appearing in film and television. Whether you knew him best as Edgar Montrose from The Red Green Show or Kicking Bird from Dances With Wolves , he had a charming presence whenever he graced screens big or small. He was always working, meaning there was a high chance you'd see him in a TV show like Defiance or a film like Casino Jack .
Although Greene was usually hired to play a Native American because he was a Canadian First Nations actor, he had enough range to play more than that. Despite his recent passing, he left behind a massive filmography of film acting. Let's look back at the best film roles for the Oscar-nominated Graham Greene.
Antlers
Dark secrets lie in the rural community of Cispus Falls, a town in Central Oregon. A sinister mystery might lie in one young boy who conceals his personal life from the rest of the town. As the local teacher and sheriff investigate, they stumble upon something demonic festering under the surface of their dreary land.
Greene plays the former sheriff Warren Stokes in Antlers . Like many of his later roles, Greene becomes the wise voice of expert knowledge, aiding in investigating a mine and deciphering the meaning of strange drawings. He's a welcome presence in this supernatural horror that stars Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons.
Seeds
Directed by the Canadian First Nations actress Kaniehtiio Horn, Seeds is a comedic thriller about the influencer Ziggy. While her job involves promoting the seeds and fertilizer offered by Nature's Oath, she soon finds herself called back to the reservation when her cousin requires some house-sitting. What seems like an easy job turns into a fight for crops.
For being filmed during Greene's twilight years, he doesn't take on as vicious a role in Seeds , but it is still essential. He offers up dark words of warning when Ziggy returns home and must encounter a dangerous situation involving racial tensions. Equal parts brutal and absurd, an off-beat vibe feels ideally suited for someone like Greene.
Skins
Based on Adrian C. Louis's book, Skins is set on a South Dakota Indian reservation, where the local tribe struggles with modern life. Police officer Rudy Yellow Lodge (Eric Schweig) is of the Lakota Sioux tribe, and his having a tough time dealing with his alcoholic brother, Mogie (Graham Greene). With so much despair, Rudy aims to strike back at a culture that has deprived his family of its legacy.
Greene played a much different character in Skins , being less of a leader and more of a boozer. His performance was also pivotal in highlighting the alcoholism present in Native American life and how much more prevalent it is on Indian reservations. The theme wraps beautifully with a story about the injustice and massacre of Native American culture, authentically shot at South Dakota's Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Duct Tape Forever
The uniquely Canadian comedy of The Red Green Show expanded into a movie with Duct Tape Forever . The Possum Lodge and all the quirky men it is home to are threatened by the government, which is trying to shut down the establishment for being seen as an environmental hazard. It's up to Red Green (Steve Smith), his nephew Harold Green (Patrick McKenna), and the entire lodge to save it by winning money from a duct tape competition, the adhesive of choice for someone like Red.
Although more of an ensemble piece, Duct Tape Forever stars all the show's colorful characters, including Graham Greene's Edgar Montrose, an absent-minded and hard-of-hearing demolition expert. Greene was so hilarious in a role where he mostly stared in bewilderment in his burned clothing, trying and often failing not to blow up everything. The film is fun, but you should also check out Greene's episodes of The Red Green Show , especially the one where Edgar talks about Dances With Wolves ; "I saw that one. The native guy was okay. Should've got the Oscar. But the rest of it was a yawn."
Duct Tape Forever can currently be watched on the Red Green Official YouTube channel.
Molly's Game
Aaron Sorkin finally jumped from writing to directing with the crime picture, Molly's Game . Based on a true story, the film follows Molly Bloom (Jessica Chastain), switching gears from becoming an Olympic-bound skier to an underground poker legend. Her skills in organizing closed-door gaming attract the attention of the FBI as she narrowly tries to navigate a tricky business that makes her a target.
In the film, Graham Greene only has a minor role as Judge Dustin Foxman, reacting and remarking during the courtroom scene. It's not a huge role, but he fits perfectly with a picture of slick dialogue that only Sorkin could write so well. It's also pretty cool to see in a film with such big stars as Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Michael Cera, Jeremy Strong, and Kevin Costner.
Transamerica
In Transamerica , Bree is a trans woman who discovers, before her surgery, that her estranged teenage son, Toby, is in jail. After bailing him out, she realizes that he lives in an abusive household and can't just leave her son with a step-dad who hates him. The two are off on a road trip adventure where Bree will eventually have to come clean about who she really is before Toby gets the wrong impression.
On this road trip dramedy, the mother and son encounter Calvin, a kind rancher played by Graham Greene. While he's not in the movie long, he does leave a lasting presence when offering to give the heroes a lift and even starts flirting with Bree. Who wouldn't want to run into a sweet guy like Greene with his cowboy hat and guitar?
Die Hard With a Vengeance
As the third film in the Die Hard franchise, Die Hard with a Vengeance kicked John McClane (Bruce Willis) out of enclosed locations and into the chaos of New York City streets. The terrorist Simon (Jeremy Irons) has placed bombs all around the city that are set to go off. To stop this plot, John must venture across the streets and solve game-like clues while risking his life alongside the hot-headed Zeus Carver (Samuel L. Jackson).
Greene appears in this film as NYPD Detective Joe Lambert. While playing more of a supporting role, he gets some good punchlines about McClane and informs the two protagonists about the terrorist situation. He might not have the same underdog nature as the first film's Sergeant Powell, but he fits nicely into one of the more fast-paced and explosive entries in the Die Hard franchise.
Wind River
Written and directed by Taylor Sheridan, Wind River takes place on a reservation where a woman has been murdered. Government agents Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) and Jane Banner (Elizabeth Olsen) are trying to solve the case as they venture into the Native American territory of the Wind River Indian Reservation. As they investigate further, they realize just how dangerous this rural community can be when it is riddled with secrets, drugs, and violence.
Graham Greene appears as Chief Ben Shoyo of the tribal police, aiding the investigation. He provides valuable information for the case, but also some mild levity towards the white people venturing into his territory. He sticks out among the other Native Americans cast in this neo-western, including the talents of Gil Birmingham and Martin Sensmeier.
Maverick
Based on the TV series of the same title, Richard Donner's Maverick centers around the cardshark Bret Maverick (Mel Gibson) and his many money issues. Set in the Old West of America , his adventures of wild card playing find him joined by the lawman Zane (James Garner) and the seductive con artist Annabelle (Jodie Foster).
Greene played the role of Joseph, an Indian leader and old friend of Maverick. He's just as capable a swindler as Maverick, and it's a lot of fun watching him try to deceive white people with his Indian displays and toy with Maverick over money owed. It's even more fun when they work together to swindle cash from a Russian archduke.
Dances With Wolves
Based on Michael Blake's novel, Dances With Wolves follows the historical adventures of Union Army Lieutenant John J. Dunbar (Kevin Costner) during the Civil War. He soon develops a relationship with the Lakota and better understands their way of life. He'll be forced to choose a side when the Union soldiers attack and the Lakota way of life comes into the crosshairs of white men.
Dances With Wolves features Graham Greene's more iconic role as Kicking Bird, a Lakota medicine man. He plays a pivotal role in raising the white woman, Stands With A Fist (Mary McDonnell), who becomes John's love interest. For Greene's chemistry with Costner, his performance earned him an Academy Award nomination, blazing trails for Native American representation in movies.
Graham Greene is an actor you'll never forget. He always felt like he was present somewhere. Whether he represented Native American culture, was the wise voice of wisdom, or was a goofy explosives guy, Greene left his mark in more ways than one. He'll be greatly missed, given how many fantastic roles he has had over his legacy.
