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Greene, best known for his Oscar-nominated role in 1990’s Dances with Wolves, died Sept. 1 at the age of 73
Ethan Hawke is remembering his late costar Graham Greene.
The two actors crossed paths on The Lowdown, which Hawke, 54, executive produced and starred in. Greene will appear posthumously on the forthcoming series, premiering Set. 23.
“I just always loved his acting, and he has a great role in our show,” said Hawke of Greene at the PEOPLE/EW and Shutterstock Studio at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on Friday, Sept. 5.
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“He’s so playful and mercurial, and he really enjoyed acting,” he added. “I love seeing that, so it broke my heart.”
Though Hawke admitted he didn’t know Greene all too well, he said the Dances with Wolves actor’s “health seemed great when we were working together” as they were filming together back in May.
“He was really fun to be with, so I was sad,” he shared.
Hawke said Greene, who was Canadian First Nations (Oneida), was “really supportive” of The Lowdown creator Sterlin Harjo, who is Native American (Seminole/Muscogee).
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“He’s been a real leader in his community,” Hawke said of Greene. “It was great to see him thriving until the end.”
Greene died at the age of 73 on Sept. 1, with his agent telling PEOPLE that the actor “loved all he did for his people and for the world.”
“He was a great man of Morals Ethics ❤️ Character and will be eternally missed. We love you, my brother greene. God bless you,” Greene’s agent continued. “You are finally free.”
Following the news of Greene’s death, Hawke took to Instagram to share a heartfelt tribute, reflecting on his “legendary” career.
“He has always possessed extraordinary grace, wisdom, wit, & depth,” Hawke continued. “Working with him was shockingly fun. He improvised brilliantly and infused every moment with spontaneity & humor. I even got to break bread with him – and share some fries. I am shocked to hear of his passing. Blessed travels, friend.”
In addition to his Oscar-nominated role as Kicking Bird in Dances with Wolves, Greene appeared in other films like 1994’s Maverick, 1995’s Die Hard With a Vengeance, 1999’s The Green Mile, 2017’s Wind River and the Twilight film series, as well as shows like Northern Exposure, Defiance, Longmire, Goliath and Reservation Dogs, which Harjo co-created with Taika Waititi.
Little is known about Greene’s role on The Lowdown, but the series stars Hawke as Lee Rayborn, a citizen journalist and self-proclaimed “truthstorian” whose obsession with the truth always seems to get him into trouble.
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The Lowdown premieres Sept. 23 on FX and streams on Hulu.
