21 Facts About Jay Silverheels

Jay Silverheels was well known for his role as Tonto, the Aboriginal companion of the Lone Ranger in the American Western television series The Lone Ranger.

Jay Silverheels's father was wounded and decorated for service at the battles of Somme and Ypres during World War I, and later was an adjutant training Polish-American recruits for the Blue Army for service in France, at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

In 1931, owners of National Hockey League's franchises in Toronto and Montreal created indoor lacrosse as a means to fill empty arenas during the summers, and playing as "Harry Smith", Jay Silverheels was among the first players chosen to play for the Toronto Tecumsehs.

Jay Silverheels lived for a time in Buffalo, New York, and in 1938, placed second in the middleweight class of the Golden Gloves tournament.

Jay Silverheels was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a veteran player in 1997.

Jay Silverheels began working in motion pictures as an extra and stuntman in 1937.

Jay Silverheels was billed variously as Harold Smith and Harry Smith, and appeared in low-budget features, Westerns, and serials.

Jay Silverheels adopted his screen name from the nickname he had as a lacrosse player.

Jay Silverheels was cast in a short feature film, I Am an American.

Jay Silverheels made a brief appearance in True Grit as a condemned criminal about to be executed.

Jay Silverheels played a substantial role as John Crow in Santee, starring Glenn Ford.

Jay Silverheels achieved his greatest fame as Tonto on The Lone Ranger.

Jay Silverheels appeared in the film sequels: The Lone Ranger and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold.

Jay Silverheels appeared in an episode of the TV series Love, American Style, in which two tribe members try to talk a young White man who wishes to marry a girl from their tribe into enduring the tribe's "test of manhood," a barbaric ritual of surviving in the wilderness.

Jay Silverheels began to publish poetry inspired by his youth on the Six Nations Indian Reserve and recited his work on television.

Jay Silverheels raised, bred, and raced Standardbred horses in his spare time.

Jay Silverheels died on March 5,1980, from a stroke, at age 67, in Calabasas, California.

Jay Silverheels was cremated at Chapel of the Pines Crematory, and his ashes were returned to the Six Nations Reserve in Ontario.

Jay Silverheels was named to the Western New York Entertainment Hall of Fame, and his portrait hangs in Buffalo, New York's Shea's Buffalo Theatre.

Jay Silverheels has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6538 Hollywood Boulevard.

In 1997, Jay Silverheels was inducted, under the name Harry "Tonto" Smith, into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in the Veteran Player category in recognition of his lacrosse career during the 1930s.