Manuel Padilla Jr.
Actor
Biography
In the 1960s, Padilla was a popular child actor, usually playing the Mexican or Indian boy in TV westerns such as "Rawhide," "Bonanza" and "Gunsmoke". He was a regular in the 1960s TV series "Tarzan", with actor Ron Ely, in dozens of episodes as native boy 'Jai', and as also a semi-regular in the TV series, "The Flying Nun", with actress Sally Field. In featured films, as an adult, Padilla made appearances in the films, "The Great White Hope", "American Graffiti", "A Man Called Horse", and "Scarface", among others.
Padilla died unexpectedly at age 52, just after making a public appearance at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, California, in January 2008.
Filmography
American Graffiti
as Carlos 1973
A Man Called Horse
as Leaping Buck 1970
More American Graffiti
as Carlos 1979
Robin and the 7 Hoods
as Orphan Boy 1964
The Great White Hope
as Paco 1970
Tarzan and the Valley of Gold
as Ramel 1966
The Young and the Brave
as Han 1963
Tarzan and the Great River
as Pepe 1967
Sylvia
as Pancho Guzman (uncredited) 1965
Cotton Candy
as Julio Sanchez 1978
Dime with a Halo
as Rafael 1963
Tarzan's Deadly Silence
as Jai 1970
Tarzan's Jungle Rebellion
as Jai 1967
Cutter's Trail
as Paco Avila 1970
The Mountains of the Moon
as Jai 1967
Taffy and the Jungle Hunter
as Beau 1965