TV Shows That Cast White Actors in Traditionally Non-White Roles

Jay Silverheels famously played Tonto, but most other Native American characters on the show were actually played by white actors. These actors used dark makeup and wigs to portray members of different tribes in the Old West. The series often showed Native Americans as side characters or villains, relying on tired stereotypes in both how they looked and what they said. This type of casting was common at the time, as television shows relied heavily on well-known actors. Today, these episodes are often cited as examples of the poor and inauthentic representation of Native Americans in early television.








