Jay Silverheels
Biography
Jay Silverheels was a Mohawk and First Nations actor and athlete who became best known as Tonto, the Lone Ranger's Native American companion, on the television series The Lone Ranger. Born in Ontario on the Six Nations reserve, he excelled in lacrosse and played box lacrosse during the 1930s. While touring with a team in Los Angeles in 1937, he impressed Joe E. Brown, who encouraged him to take a screen test. He entered films as an extra and stuntman that year and adopted his screen name from his lacrosse nickname. He later appeared in major films including Key Largo (1948), Lust for Gold (1949), War Arrow (1953), Drums Across the River (1954), Santee (1973), and The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973). He was most famous for playing Tonto on The Lone Ranger from 1949 to 1957, and he received a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 1979. He died in 1980.
67years old at death
- Born Brantford
- Died Woodland Hills
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
Movie Career
- Films
- 14
- Career span
- 25 years1948 to 1973
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A first
In 1931, owners of National Hockey League franchises in Toronto and Montreal started indoor lacrosse, also called box lacrosse, to fill empty arenas in the summers. Under the name Harry Smith, Silverheels was one of the first players picked for the Toronto Tecumsehs.
Big break
In 1937, while Silverheels was in Los Angeles with a touring box lacrosse team, his athleticism impressed Joe E. Brown. Brown pushed him to take a screen test, and that started his acting career.
A change of course
In 1938, Silverheels finished second in the middleweight class at the Golden Gloves tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. As a veteran player, he entered the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997.
Beyond film
Silverheels appeared as Tonto, but not with the Lone Ranger, in a 1969 comedy sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. That sketch was later featured on a 1974 record album.
Jay Silverheels movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
John Huston directed two of these films, George Sherman two. Hugh O'Brian appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Hugh O'Brian's page
Humphrey Bogart's page
Glenn Ford's page
Regis Toomey's page
Robert J. Wilke's page
Alan Ladd's page
All films by John Huston
George ShermanDirector, 2 films, 1952 to 1953
All films by George Sherman
Also two films together5 more actors
- Robert DonnerSantee (1973) and The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973)
- Jeff ChandlerWar Arrow (1953) and The Battle at Apache Pass (1952)
- Pat FlahertyKey Largo (1948) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- Lyle BettgerThe Lone Ranger (1956) and Drums Across the River (1954)
- George J. LewisSaskatchewan (1954) and Red Mountain (1951)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Awards
Two awards and honors.
| Year | Award | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other honors | |||
| Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame | Won | ||
| Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame | Honored | ||
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.