Lee Van Cleef

Biography

Clarence LeRoy "Lee" Van Cleef Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American actor best known for his roles in Spaghetti Westerns such as For A Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Hatchet-faced with piercing eyes, he had declined to have his nose altered to play a sympathetic character in his film debut, High Noon, and was relegated to a non-speaking outlaw as a result. For a decade he was typecast as a minor villain, his sinister features overshadowing his acting skills. After suffering serious injuries in a car crash, Van Cleef began to lose interest in his apparently waning career by the time Sergio Leone gave him a major role in For a Few Dollars More. The film made him a box-office draw, especially in Europe. Despite suffering from heart disease from the late 1970s and having a pacemaker installed in the early 1980s, Van Cleef continued to work in films until his death on December 16, 1989, at age 64. He was buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery, Hollywood Hills, California, with an inscription on his grave marker referring to his many acting performances as a villain: "BEST OF THE BAD".

Known For

Perry Mason

Bonanza

The Andy Griffith Show

The Rifleman

Maverick

Wagon Train

The Twilight Zone

Have Gun, Will Travel

All Movies (92)

• The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout2024 · as Self (archive footage)
• Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann2014 · as (archive footage)
• Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor2000 · as Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
• Thieves of Fortune1990 · as Sergio Danielo Christophero
• Speed Zone1989 · as Grandfather
• The Commander1988 · as Col. Mazzarini
• Armed Response1986 · as Burt Roth
• Jungle Raiders1985 · as Warren
• The Master Ninja 51985 · as John Peter McAllister
• Code Name: Wild Geese1984 · as Archie 'China' Travers
• Killing Machine1984 · as Julot
• Master Ninja1984 · as John Peter McAllister
• Master Ninja II1984 · as John Peter McAllister
• Escape from New York1981 · as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
• The Octagon1980 · as McCarn
• The Hard Way1980 · as McNeal
• When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion1979 · as Self
• The Squeeze1978 · as Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
• The Perfect Killer1977 · as Harry Chapman
• Nowhere to Hide1977 · as Ike Scanlon
• Kid Vengeance1976 · as McClain
• God's Gun1976 · as Father John / Lewis
• Take a Hard Ride1975 · as Kiefer
• The Stranger and the Gunfighter1974 · as Dakota
• Mean Frank and Crazy Tony1973 · as Frankie
• The Grand Duel1972 · as Sheriff Clayton
• The Magnificent Seven Ride!1972 · as Marshal Chris Adams
• Captain Apache1971 · as Capt. Apache
• Bad Man's River1971 · as Roy King
• Return of Sabata1971 · as Sabata / Major
• Barquero1970 · as Travis
• El Condor1970 · as Jaroo
• Sabata1969 · as Sabata
• Commandos1968 · as MSgt. Sullivan
• Beyond the Law1968 · as Billy Joe Cudlip
• Day of Anger1967 · as Frank Talby
• Death Rides a Horse1967 · as Ryan
• The Big Gundown1967 · as Jonathan Corbett
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly1966 · as Sentenza / Angel Eyes
• For a Few Dollars More1965 · as Col. Douglas Mortimer
• How the West Was Won1962 · as River Pirate
• The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance1962 · as Reese
• Posse from Hell1961 · as Leo
• The Slowest Gun in the West1960 · as Sam Bass
• Ride Lonesome1959 · as Frank
• Guns Girls and Gangsters1959 · as Mike Bennett
• Machete1958 · as Miguel
• The Bravados1958 · as Alfonso Parral
• The Young Lions1958 · as 1st Sgt. Rickett
• Day of the Badman1958 · as Jake Hayes
• The Tin Star1957 · as Ed McGaffey
• Raiders of Old California1957 · as Damon Pardee
• Joe Dakota1957 · as Adam Grant
• Gun Battle at Monterey1957 · as Kirby
• The Quiet Gun1957 · as Doug Sadler
• Last Stagecoach West1957 · as Steve Margolies
• The Lonely Man1957 · as Faro
• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral1957 · as Ed Bailey
• China Gate1957 · as Maj. Cham
• The Badge of Marshal Brennan1957 · as Shad Donaphin
• Accused of Murder1956 · as Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
• Pardners1956 · as Gus
• It Conquered the World1956 · as Dr. Tom Anderson
• Tribute to a Bad Man1956 · as Fat Jones
• The Conqueror1956 · as Chepei
• The Vanishing American1955 · as Jay Lord
• A Man Alone1955 · as Clanton
• The Naked Street1955 · as Harry Goldish (uncredited)
• The Road to Denver1955 · as Pecos Larry
• I Cover the Underworld1955 · as Flash Logan
• The Big Combo1955 · as Fante
• Ten Wanted Men1955 · as Al Drucker
• Treasure of Ruby Hills1955 · as Frank Emmett
• Dawn at Socorro1954 · as Earl Ferris
• Princess of the Nile1954 · as Hakar (uncredited)
• The Desperado1954 · as Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
• The Yellow Tomahawk1954 · as Fire Knife
• Arrow In The Dust1954 · as Tillotson Henchman
• Rails Into Laramie1954 · as Ace Winton
• Gypsy Colt1954 · as Hank
• The Nebraskan1953 · as Pvt. Reno Benton
• Tumbleweed1953 · as Marv
• Jack Slade1953 · as Bolt Mackay
• Vice Squad1953 · as Pete Monty
• Arena1953 · as Smitty
• The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms1953 · as Corp. Stone
• White Lightning1953 · as Brutus Allen
• The Bandits of Corsica1953 · as Nerva
• The Lawless Breed1952 · as Dirk Hanley
• Kansas City Confidential1952 · as Tony Romano
• Untamed Frontier1952 · as Dave Chittun
• High Noon1952 · as Jack Colby

All TV Shows (74)

• The Master1984 · as John Peter McAllister
• Laredo1965
• My Mother the Car1965
• Branded1965
• The Dakotas1963
• Stagecoach West1960 · as Lin Hyatt
• The Andy Griffith Show1960 · as Skip
• Mr. Lucky1959 · as Kruger
• The Untouchables1959 · as Frank Diamond
• Hawaiian Eye1959
• The Alaskans1959
• The Twilight Zone1959 · as Steinhart
• Law of the Plainsman1959 · as Tracey
• The DuPont Show with June Allyson1959 · as Peak
• Riverboat1959 · as Luke Cragg
• The Deputy1959 · as Cherokee Kid
• Bonanza1959 · as Appling
• Black Saddle1959 · as Frank Sandoe
• Rawhide1959 · as Fred Grant
• Rawhide1959 · as Deck Sommers
• 77 Sunset Strip1958
• 77 Sunset Strip1958 · as Majeski
• Lawman1958
• Lawman1958 · as Deputy Clyde Wilson
• Lawman1958 · as Ned Scott
• Yancy Derringer1958 · as Ike Milton
• The Rifleman1958
• Bronco1958
• Bronco1958 · as Shanghai Williams
• Wanted: Dead or Alive1958 · as Jumbo Kane
• Tombstone Territory1957 · as Sam Carver
• Tombstone Territory1957
• Zorro1957
• Casey Jones1957 · as Mort Clio
• Trackdown1957 · as Ben Fraser
• Maverick1957
• Perry Mason1957 · as Edward Doyle
• Wagon Train1957 · as Rufe Beal
• Have Gun, Will Travel1957 · as Golias
• Have Gun, Will Travel1957 · as Corbin
• Richard Diamond, Private Detective1957 · as Ed Murdock
• Wire Service1956 · as Al Sanders
• State Trooper1956 · as Frank Parnessa
• The Adventures of Champion1955 · as Frank
• Cheyenne1955 · as Braden
• Cheyenne1955 · as Harry Bittercreek Bartender
• Gunsmoke1955 · as Rad
• Gunsmoke1955 · as John Hooker
• Gunsmoke1955 · as Ike Jeffords
• Buffalo Bill Jr.1955
• Studio 571954
• Studio 571954 · as Tommy
• Stories of the Century1954 · as Jesse James
• Annie Oakley1954 · as Amos Belcher
• Annie Oakley1954 · as Tim Brennan
• City Detective1953
• General Electric Theater1953 · as Dave Rudabaugh
• The Ford Television Theatre1952
• The Ford Television Theatre1952 · as Stanley Perrin
• Cavalcade of America1952
• Cavalcade of America1952 · as 1st Mate Hawl Finch
• Four Star Playhouse1952 · as Bob Wheeler aka Sonora Kid
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Dallas Clancy
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Wink
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Sheriff
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Larkin
• Schlitz Playhouse of Stars1951 · as Cowboy
• Boston Blackie1951 · as Captain Jansen
• Boston Blackie1951 · as Lou
• The Adventures of Kit Carson1951
• The Gene Autry Show1950 · as Hod - Henchman
• The Gene Autry Show1950 · as Henchman Ray
• The Lone Ranger1949 · as Bull Harper
• The Lone Ranger1949 · as Jango