Kevin Costner has remembered Graham Greene as a "wonderful human being"

The 73-year-old actor-and-director shared a clip from the 1990 movie, in which his own character Lieutenant Dunbar attempted to converse with Graham's Kicking Bird and his tribe.

He captioned the post: "A few things come to mind when I think of Graham Greene and our time together on Dances With Wolves.

"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 @theacademy 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.

"I'm grateful to have been witness to this part of his lasting legacy. Rest in peace, Graham. (sic)"

The Die Hard with a Vengence actor's death was announced earlier this week.

His representative told Deadline: "He was a great man of morals, ethics and character and will be eternally missed."

He added: "You are finally free. Susan Smith is meeting you at the gates of heaven," referencing Greene's longtime agent, who died in 2013.

Graham, who was of Oneida First Nation and Canadian descent, grew up on the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario.

Before turning to acting, he worked as a welder, draftsman and steelworker.

His television debut came in 1979 with a part in The Great Detective, and his first film role followed in 1983's Running Brave.

Graham's career breakthrough arrived in 1990 with Dances With Wolves, in which his portrayal of the Sioux medicine man Kicking Bird earned him an Academy Award nomination.

In a past interview with CineMoovie, the actor recalled the challenges of filming, including being thrown from a horse during production.

He said: "I wanted to get payback on the animal rather than take a break from filming."

Graham also spoke about the difficulty of learning Lakota for the part, saying: "I couldn't figure out how they ordered their language. Its structure is totally foreign to English or French."

The star went on to appear in a wide range of roles, from comedy such as his recurring part in The Red Green Show - to dramas including The Green Mile (1999), in which he played Arlen Bitterbuck opposite Tom Hanks and Michael Clarke Duncan.

Other credits included roles in Maverick (1994), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Transamerica (2005), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) and Aaron Sorkin's Molly's Game (2017).

More recently, he appeared in Tulsa King alongside Sylvester Stallone and in HBO's The Last of Us.

One of his final screen appearances was in FX's Reservation Dogs, a series that continued his legacy of championing Indigenous storytelling.

His last completed project is the upcoming thriller Ice Fall, starring Joel Kinnaman, which is scheduled for release on 16 October.

Graham is survived by wife Hilary, their daughter Lilly Lazare-Greene, and his grandson Tarlo.