Jay Silverheels

Jay Silverheels was born on a reservation in Canada to a Mohawk chief. He was a star lacrosse player and a boxer before he entered films as a stuntman in 1938. He worked in a number of films though the 1940s before he gained some notice as the Osceola brother in Humphrey Bogart's film Key Largo (1948). Most of his roles consisted of bit parts as "Indian." In 1949, he would work in a movie called The Cowboy and the Indians (1949) with another "B movie" actor named Clayton Moore. It was later that same year that Jay would be hired to play the faithful Indian companion, Tonto, in the television series "The Lone Ranger" (1949). This role, while still playing the "Indian," would bring Jay the fame that his motion picture career never did. As Tonto, on his horse Scout, Jay could show up where the Ranger could not and some of the time he would be shot at or beat up for his trouble. Jay would play Tonto in all the episodes except for those that he missed when he had his heart attack. In those episodes, he was replaced by the Ranger's nephew, Dan. However, Clayton Moore would miss the third season when he was replaced by John Hart. Jay would reprise the role of Tonto in two big-screen color movies with Moore, The Lone Ranger (1956) and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958). After the series ended in 1957, Jay could not escape the typecasting of Tonto. He would continue to appear in an occasional film and television show, but he would become a spokesman to improve the portrayal of Indians on TV.

Filmography 25

All Movies 24TV Series 1

Sort by Most popular Newest first Oldest first

The Lone Ranger 1949TV show as Tonto

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre 1948Movie as Indian Guide at Pier (uncredited)

Yellow Sky 1948Movie as Indian (uncredited)

The Battle at Apache Pass 1952Movie as Geronimo

Key Largo 1948Movie as Tom Osceola (uncredited)

The Lone Ranger 1956Movie as Tonto

Last of the Comanches 1953Movie as Indian (uncredited)

Fury at Furnace Creek 1948Movie as Little Dog (uncredited)

The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing 1973Movie as The Chief

Red Mountain 1951Movie as Little Crow

War Arrow 1953Movie as Satanta

Lust for Gold 1949Movie as Walter

One Little Indian 1973Movie as Jimmy Wolf

Four Guns to the Border 1954Movie as Yaqui

Walk the Proud Land 1956Movie as Geronimo

The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold 1958Movie as Tonto

Drums Across the River 1954Movie as Taos

Smith! 1969Movie as McDonald Lasheway

The Wild Blue Yonder 1951Movie as Benders

The Western: A Lost TV Special 1958Movie as Self

The Cowboy and the Indians 1949Movie as Lakohna

The Feathered Serpent 1948Movie as Diego (uncredited)

The Legend Of The Lone Ranger 1952Movie as Tonto

Santee 1973Movie as John Crow

Laramie 1949Movie as Running Wolf (uncredited)