The Life of Jay Silverheels

Study Notes

Silverheels was born on May 26, 1912, in Canada
He was an Indigenous Canadian actor and athlete
He was well known for his role as Tonto, the Native American companion of the Lone Ranger on the American Western television series The Lone Ranger
In the late 1940s, he played in major films, including Captain from Castile starring Tyrone Power
He achieved his greatest fame as Tonto on The Lone Ranger
He appeared in the film sequels: The Lone Ranger (1956) and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958)
When The Lone Ranger television series ended, Silverheels continued to be typecast as a Native American
On January 6, 1960, he portrayed a Native American fireman trying to extinguish a forest fire in the episode "Leap of Life" in the syndicated series, Rescue 8, starring Jim Davis and fellow Canadian Lang Jeffries.
Silverheels was born in 1928 in the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada
He was raised on the reserve and learned to ride, shoot, and fight with the local tribe
He began his acting career in the early 1960s and quickly became typecast as the Native American Tonto in the television series The Lone Ranger
He appeared in three episodes of the television series Daniel Boone and three episodes of The Brady Bunch
In the early 1960s, he supported the Indian Actors Workshop, where Native American actors refined their skills
He died from a stroke in 1980
He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and is inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.
Silverheels was a horse that starred in many Westerns during the 1930s.
He was a popular horse and was often used in films.
He had a memorable name and was friends with many other horses.
Silverheels died in the 1950s.

Description

Test your knowledge of Jay Silverheels, the Indigenous Canadian actor known for his portrayal of Tonto in The Lone Ranger television series. Explore his career, achievements, and the legacy he left behind.