Enlisted as a private in the U.S. Army Cavalry on 31 October 1942 during World War II.
For the "Steve Canyon" TV series, bleached his hair blond in order to more closely resemble the comic-strip hero.
Although best known as the blond-haired Steve Canyon, he played many Native Americans in Western movies and television shows, with character names ranging from Comanche Chief, Crowfeather, Greywolf, Great Bear, Spotted Wolf, Komawi and Niskitoon.