While Depp has every right to claim his Cherokee heritage, the reality is that he is still perceived as a white man playing a minority role. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he said, “I started thinking about Tonto and what could be done in my own small way to…Eliminate’ isn’t possible - but reinvent the relationship, to attempt to take some of the ugliness thrown on the Native Americans, not only in The Lone Ranger, but the way Indians were treated throughout history of cinema, and turn it on its head.”įor some though, these intentions are not enough. He even went so far as to be ceremoniously adopted into the Comanche Nation, and received a traditional Navajo blessing.ĭepp appeared to be very intentional about the entire process, and it’s clear that he took into account the cultural implications of his role. He also went out of his way to consult American Indian leaders about the movie’s script and the development of Tonto’s character. To his credit, Depp, does identify as having Cherokee heritage. So is Johnny Depp’s Tonto much of the same? Is it another stereotypical, insensitive portrayal of Native Americans? It’s difficult to tell.
And while he was played by a Native actor, Tonto’s character remained one-dimensioned, subordinate, and flat-out racist, as can be seen in the painfully stereotypical clip below. When the show came to television in the early 1950s, Native Canadian actor Jay Silverheels had the role of Tonto.
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Tonto was first played by White American actor John Todd on the Lone Ranger radio series in the 1930s.
People were justified in raising eyebrows at this latest depiction of Tonto given the character’s history. Already, Johnny Depp’s portrayal of the Lone Ranger’s Native sidekick, Tonto, has created a storm of controversy, with many saying that the character is racist.
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And while the movie is sure to celebrate some of the better parts of American culture (the thrill of the American West, the triumph of the vigilante hero), it has also dusted off some of the skeletons in this nation’s closet, namely the treatment of Native Americans, and the depiction of Native characters throughout Hollywood history. Disney’s action flick The Lone Ranger hits theaters this week just in time for July 4.