Known best as Tonto, the faithful companion and partner of the Lone Ranger, Jay Silverheels was a native of the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. Born in May 1912 as Harold Jay Smith he was an exceptional athlete. As one of the top lacrosse players it was during a tournament in Hollywood in 1938 that he caught the eye of comedian Joe E. Brown. Through his coaxing Harold joined the Actor’s Guild and began seeking work as an extra.
Changing his name to Jay Smith Silverheels, partly a nickname from his uncle due to his superb running style, he went on to work in over 35 movies including Key Largo in 1948, Broken Arrow in 1950, and True Grit in 1969.
In 1949 Jay got a co-starring role alongside Clayton Moore in the Lone Ranger. In his most well known role Jay played Tonto, a Native American descending from the Potawatami nation fighting alongside the Lone Ranger. The series ran until 1957 with Jay hanging up his saddle after the production of The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold in 1958.
Jay continued making movies until he suffered a stroke in 1974. He passed away on March 5, 1980 after years of illness. As well as his acting career Jay was well known for promoting the rights of Native Americans. Jay Silverheels was inducted into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at Oklahoma’s National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in 1993.