Graham Greene, right, seen here in the TV movie Spirit Bear with actor Mark Rendall, will star as an aboriginal leader in the movie New Moon. (CTV/Canadian Press)

Veteran Canadian actor Graham Greene has joined the cast of New Moon, the sequel to the massive Hollywood hit Twilight,based on the popular vampire romance novels of Stephanie Meyers.

The teen coming-of-age books focus on high school student Bella Swan's relationship with the vampire Edward Cullen.

New Moon — which films on Vancouver Island and in the Tuscany region of Italy — focuses on a growing friendship between Bella, played by Kristen Stewart, and childhood friend Jacob Black, played by Taylor Lautner.

The 56-year-old Greene appears as Harry Clearwater, an old friend of Bella's father and a Quileute tribal leader.

Greene was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role in the 1990 film Dances With Wolves and has since appeared in the films Transamerica, The Green Mile, Die Hard: With A Vengeance and the TV series Northern Exposure.

British actor Robert Pattinson resumes his role as Bella's vampire boyfriend. Dakota Fanning also joins the cast as Jane, a powerful member of a vampire coven known as the Volturi.

Montreal's Rachelle Lefevre returns as the vampire Victoria and Vancouver's Noot Seear appears as a member of the Volturi coven.

Other Canadians include First Nations actor Bronson Pelletier of Vancouver Island, who joins New Moon after a massive casting call for aboriginal actors held earlier this year.

Pelletier, 20, has appeared in Global TV's Renegadepress.com and on APTN's ArtZone.

New Moon is slated for release in November.