Iron Eyes Cody

 Iron Eyes Cody, born Espera Oscar de Corti (April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999)

Going by the name of Iron Eyes Cody, he portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films, despite his 100% Italian heritage. Cody began acting in the early 1930s, and continued to work in film and television until his death. He claimed to be Native American, saying that he had Cherokee-Cree ancestry. He frequently changed his place of birth when providing documentation. He lived as if he were of indigenous Native American descent, on and off the screen. He was said to have supported Native American causes. At a time when numerous Westerns were featured in film and television, Cody appeared in roles as the "noble Indian in more than 100 films", including The Big Trail (1930), with John Wayne; The Scarlet Letter (1934), with Colleen Moore; Sitting Bull (1954), as Crazy Horse; The Light in the Forest (1958) as Cuyloga; The Great Sioux Massacre (1965), with Joseph Cotten; Nevada Smith (1966), with Steve McQueen; A Man Called Horse (1970), with Richard Harris; and Ernest Goes to Camp (1987), as Chief St. Cloud. He had roles in another 100 films as other characters. Cody was widely known as the "crying chief" in the "Keep America Beautiful" public service announcement (PSA) of the early 1970s. The environmental commercial showed Cody dressed as a Native American, shedding a tear after trash is thrown from the window of a car and it lands at his feet. In 1995, the Hollywood Native community honored Cody for his contributions to the representation of Native American life, yet they tactfully noted his non-Native heritage. Cody died on January 4, 1999 at the age of ninety-four, and is buried at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.