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Harold J. Smith (commonly known as Jay Silverheels), actor (born 26 May 1912 in Six Nations of the Grand River, ON; died 5 March 1980 in Woodland Hills, California). A leading athlete on his reserve as a youth, Jay Silverheels was a top lacrosse player and boxer. He had a successful acting career, with perhaps his best-known role being Tonto in the Lone Ranger television series and films.
Early Life
Jay Silverheels was born in Six Nations of the Grand River. He was the son of A.G.E. Smith, a Chief and military officer. As a gifted athlete, Silverheels competed in boxing and wrestling competitions and played lacrosse in the North American Amateur Lacrosse Association. Silverheels reached the Eastern Golden Gloves title match at Madison Square Garden in boxing.
Acting Career
Jay Silverheels was spotted by comedian Joe E. Brown during a Hollywood tour with a box lacrosse team in the late 1930s. Joining the Screen Actors’ Guild with Brown's help, Silverheels worked his way up from extra and stunt work to appearing in 85 films, including Broken Arrow (1950), Saskatchewan (1954), The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing (1973) and, of course, the Lone Ranger films (1956, 1958), based on the TV series (1949–57) in which he immortalized the role of Tonto. However, Silverheels stated he felt the role of Tonto was demeaning.
Silverheels assisted many budding actors personally and through the Indian Actors Workshop, which he co-founded in Hollywood in 1963. He was active in sports throughout his life. Later in his life, Silverheels started a career in harness racing.
