SHOCKING FAREWELL: Kevin Costner’s Heartbreaking Tribute to Dances With Wolves Co-Star Graham Greene

Hollywood just lost one of its quiet giants — and Kevin Costner is making sure the world never forgets him.

On Tuesday, just a day after the passing of Graham Greene at 73 following a long illness, Costner shared a tribute that went far beyond the usual Hollywood goodbye. He didn’t post glamour shots or red-carpet memories. Instead, he shared the now-famous “Tatanka” scene from Dances With Wolves — the one where his character, John Dunbar, struggles to bridge the language gap by imitating a buffalo, while Greene’s Kicking Bird meets him with patience, dignity, and respect.

For Costner, that moment captured everything about Greene: strength in silence, grace in restraint, and a mastery that said more with a glance than pages of dialogue ever could. “A few things come to mind when I think of Graham Greene and our time together on Dances With Wolves,” Costner wrote. “I think of how willing he was to learn the Lakota language. I think of my joy when I heard that his work on the film was recognized with an Academy Awards nomination. And I think of this scene in particular, when he was able to establish so much about the relationship between Dunbar and the natives with so few words. He was a master at work and a wonderful human being.”

A Role That Changed Everything

When Dances With Wolves swept the Oscars with seven wins, including Best Picture, Greene’s performance stood tall among the reasons why. His role as Kicking Bird earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor — making him one of the first Indigenous actors in history to receive such recognition. Costner may have directed the film, but he knew Greene’s presence gave it its soul.

Even in his final hours, Greene never forgot what that role had meant. He reportedly tried to send a message to Costner to thank him for changing the course of his life. The words never reached Costner before Greene’s passing, but his agent promised to deliver them. And when Costner’s tribute went public, it felt like a circle closing — gratitude given, gratitude returned.

More Than an Actor

Costner wasn’t alone in mourning. Lou Diamond Phillips remembered Greene as “an actor’s actor… one of the wittiest, wiliest, warmest people I’ve ever known. Iconic and legendary.” Gil Birmingham, of Yellowstone fame, added: “We have lost a man of incredible talent who made a positive impact on Native representation in film, inspiring a new generation of Native actors. His great heart was only matched by his wickedly funny sense of humor.”

That humor, that heart, and that unshakable moral center followed Greene through every role — from The Green Mile to Wind River to Reservation Dogs. He carried his culture and his community into Hollywood, leaving the industry better than he found it.

A Legacy Etched in Silence and Strength

Kevin Costner’s words cut straight to the truth: Graham Greene was more than an actor. He was a bridge-builder. A master of understatement. A man whose silence carried as much weight as his voice.

Yes, the Oscar nomination and Walk of Fame star will stand forever. But Greene’s true legacy lies in the moments like “Tatanka” — where he proved that storytelling doesn’t need volume, only honesty.

Costner’s tribute was more than Hollywood remembering one of its own. It was one friend saying goodbye to another. And it was a reminder that Graham Greene’s voice — soft, steady, and unforgettable — will echo long after the credits roll.