Iron Eyes Cody | |
|---|---|
 Cody in 1977 | |
| Born | Espera Oscar de Corti April 3, 1904 Kaplan, Louisiana, U.S |
| Died | January 4, 1999 (aged 94) Los Angeles, California, U.S |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Other names | The Crying Indian |
| Years active | 1927–1990 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2, including Robert Tree Cody |
| External images | |
|---|---|
 President Carter with Iron Eyes Cody[1] | |
| Jimmy Carter with "Iron Eyes" Cody, Cherokee Indian |
Iron Eyes Cody (born Espera Oscar de Corti, April 3, 1904 – January 4, 1999) was an American actor of Sicilian descent who portrayed Native Americans in Hollywood films,[2] including the role of Chief Iron Eyes in Bob Hope's The Paleface (1948). He also played a Native American shedding a tear about pollution in one of the country's most well-known television public service announcements from the group Keep America Beautiful.[3] Living in Hollywood, he began to insist, even in his private life, that he was Native American, over time claiming membership in several different tribes. In 1996, Cody's half-sister said that he was of Italian ancestry, but he denied it.[3][4] After his death, it was revealed that he was of Sicilian parentage and not Native American at all.[2][3][4]
- ^ "Official diary" (PDF). www.jimmycarterlibrary.gov. Retrieved March 27, 2020.
- ^ a b Mikkelson, Barbara (August 9, 2007). "Was Iron Eyes Cody an American Indian?". Snopes.
- ^ a b c Waldman, Amy (January 5, 1999). "Iron Eyes Cody, 94, an Actor And Tearful Anti-Littering Icon". The New York Times.
- ^ a b Aleiss, Angela (May 26, 1996). "Native Son: After a Career as Hollywood's Noble Indian Hero, Iron Eyes Cody is Found to Have an Unexpected Heritage". The New Orleans Times-Picayune.