Oscar winning actor Kevin Costner has broken his silence following co-star Graham Greene's death, as he paid a heartfelt tribute to the late actor on Instagram.

The 70-year-old leading man marked the occasion of Graham's death by sharing a scene from Dances With Wolves, the production which saw the pair work side by side.

He wrote a touching tribute which read: "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."

In his closing comments, Costner ended his post in a heartfelt way as he added: "I'm grateful to have been witness to this part of his lasting legacy. Rest in peace, Graham."

The Hollywood star had an illustrious career spanning nearly half a century, featuring in blockbuster films, television series, and theatre productions. He is perhaps best remembered for his portrayal of Kicking Bird in Kevin Costner's Dances with Wolves, a role that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1990.

However, he sadly passed away in a Toronto hospital on Sunday afternoon, as confirmed by his agent. While no cause of death was provided, it is understood that Greene had been unwell for some time.

In a further tragic twist, Greene had wanted to speak to Costner as his dying wish shortly before his death, but had sadly been unable to do so.

His rep Michael Greene said that the late actor's dying wish was to speak with the Yellowstone actor to thank him for the representation he gave to native people in media over the years according to TMZ.

Sadly, despite his team reaching out to the star's representatives, they were unable to make contact with Kevin.

Greene's acting journey began in 1976 with television roles, and he made his cinematic debut in the 1983 sports drama Running Brave. This led to his involvement in Revolution, a British historical drama released in 1985.

His major breakthrough came with Dances With Wolves, Costner's directorial debut and one of the highest-grossing films of 1990. The Western film received widespread acclaim and bagged seven Oscars that year,

However, Greene lost the Best Supporting Actor award to Joe Pesci for his performance in Goodfellas.

Nonetheless, Dances with Wolves served as a launchpad for the Ontario-born actor, leading to roles in Thunderheart, Die Hard with a Vengeance, and The Green Mile among other 90s blockbusters. Greene also featured in Snow Dogs, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, Wind River, Molly's Game, and TV shows like American Gods and Riverdale, among numerous other roles.