Johnny Depp's role as Tonto eagerly awaited in Indian Country


Photo from Jerry Bruckheimer on Twitter

Native American roles are far and few between in Hollywood and when they do appear, it's often non-Natives who are cast.

That's the case with Johnny Depp, who is reprising the role of Tonto in the film version of The Lone Ranger. Though he's been adopted into a Comanche Nation family and has made vague claims of Indian ancestry, he's not a member of a federally recognized tribe.

“I’m not sure how much redefining I’m going to expect, not sure how much of the movie will be something I can show my son,” attorney and writer Gyasi Ross told the Associated Press.

Parts of the movie were shot on the Navajo Nation and Laguna Pueblo. It's due for release in the summer of 2013.

Get the Story:
New Tonto, ‘Lone Ranger’ film excite some Native Americans, others gear up for disappointment (AP 7/25)

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