Trivia

Adopted the nickname 'Silverheels" during a very brief boxing career, which saw him compete as a middleweight in a Golden Gloves bout in New York City's Madison Square Garden.

Was said to have "despised" his show-business portrayal of an Indian.

Was an avid horse-racer when not acting. When asked if he ever thought about running Silver or Scout (who portrayed the steeds of the Lone Ranger and Tonto, respectively) in a race, Silverheels laughed: "Heck, *I* can beat Scout."

On The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962), Silverheels told Johnny Carson that he had married his Italian wife to "get back at Christopher Columbus". They called their children "Indalions".

Inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum in 1993.

Was a full-blooded Mohawk Indian, one of 11 children of A.G.E. Smith, who had served as a decorated officer in the Canadian forces in WWI.

Of the nearly 200 TV and film appearances Silverheels made with Clayton Moore, the actors co-starred in just 4 features where they did NOT play Tonto and The Lone Ranger: Perils of Nyoka (1942), The Cowboy and the Indians (1949), Cyclone Fury (1951) and The Black Dakotas (1954).

U.S. government records give Silverheels' birthdate as 26 June 1912, though virtually all cinema reference works disagree, giving instead the 1919 date listed here.

While filming The Lone Ranger (1949) in 1955, he suffered a heart attack. He didn't appear on the show for eight weeks while he recuperated. Stuntman Chuck Courtney, as the Lone Ranger's nephew Dan Reid, replaced him until he was well enough to return;.

Reportedly beat out 35 other actors to win the Tonto role in the initial radio version of "The Lone Ranger", which he had been invited to audition for based on his appearance in Key Largo (1948).

On Thursday, July 17, 1979, at noon, Jay Silverheels received a star at the Hollywood Walk of Fame dedication ceremony. In a wheelchair, Mr. Silverheels attended this special Hollywood event. During the ceremony, a native-American group, in full-Indian attire, danced around his star. Due to a stroke, Mr. Silverheels could not speak well. He mumbled a few words of thanks. It was a small group, which included comedian Jonathan Winters and actor Steven A. Fredrick. [Source: Steven A. Fredrick].

Was a high school physical education teacher in California during the late 1960s.

Suffered a stroke in 1976.

Resided in Canoga Park, CA, and used to take walks around his neighborhood. Daughter attended and graduated from Canoga Park High School.

Father of Jay Silverheels Jr.

His ashes were sprinkled around the Six Nations reserve in Ontario, Canada after cremation at Chapel of the Pines Crematory in Los Angeles, California. His cenotaph sits in Glendale, California's Forest Lawn Memorial Park.