Lee Van Cleef
Actor
Born January 9, 1925 in Somerville, New Jersey, USA
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".
Filmography
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
Self (archive footage)
Thieves of Fortune
Sergio Danielo Christophero
Speed Zone
Grandfather
The Commander
Col. Mazzarini
Armed Response
Burt Roth
Jungle Raiders
Warren
The Master Ninja 5
John Peter McAllister
Code Name: Wild Geese
Archie 'China' Travers
Killing Machine
Julot
Master Ninja
John Peter McAllister
Master Ninja II
John Peter McAllister
The Master
John Peter McAllister
Escape from New York
Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
The Octagon
McCarn
The Hard Way
McNeal
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self
The Squeeze
Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
The Perfect Killer
Harry Chapman
Nowhere to Hide
Ike Scanlon
Kid Vengeance
McClain
God's Gun
Father John / Lewis
Take a Hard Ride
Kiefer
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
Dakota
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
Frankie
The Grand Duel
Sheriff Clayton
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
Marshal Chris Adams
Captain Apache
Capt. Apache
Bad Man's River
Roy King
Return of Sabata
Sabata / Major
Barquero
Travis
El Condor
Jaroo
Sabata
Sabata
Commandos
MSgt. Sullivan
Beyond the Law
Billy Joe Cudlip
Day of Anger
Frank Talby
Death Rides a Horse
Ryan
The Big Gundown
Jonathan Corbett
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Sentenza / Angel Eyes
For a Few Dollars More
Col. Douglas Mortimer
Laredo
My Mother the Car
Branded
The Dakotas
How the West Was Won
River Pirate
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Reese
Posse from Hell
Leo
Stagecoach West
Lin Hyatt
The Andy Griffith Show
Skip
The Slowest Gun in the West
Sam Bass
Mr. Lucky
Kruger
The Untouchables
Frank Diamond
Hawaiian Eye
The Alaskans
The Twilight Zone
Steinhart
Law of the Plainsman
Tracey
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Peak
Riverboat
Luke Cragg
The Deputy
Cherokee Kid
Bonanza
Appling
Ride Lonesome
Frank
Black Saddle
Frank Sandoe
Rawhide
Fred Grant
Guns Girls and Gangsters
Mike Bennett
Machete
Miguel
77 Sunset Strip
Lawman
Yancy Derringer
Ike Milton
The Rifleman
Bronco
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Jumbo Kane
The Bravados
Alfonso Parral
The Young Lions
1st Sgt. Rickett
Day of the Badman
Jake Hayes
The Tin Star
Ed McGaffey
Raiders of Old California
Damon Pardee
Joe Dakota
Adam Grant
Gun Battle at Monterey
Kirby
Tombstone Territory
Sam Carver
Zorro
Casey Jones
Mort Clio
Trackdown
Ben Fraser
Maverick
Perry Mason
Edward Doyle
Wagon Train
Rufe Beal
Have Gun, Will Travel
Golias
The Quiet Gun
Doug Sadler
Last Stagecoach West
Steve Margolies
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Ed Murdock
The Lonely Man
Faro
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Ed Bailey
China Gate
Maj. Cham
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
Shad Donaphin
Accused of Murder
Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
Wire Service
Al Sanders
Pardners
Gus
It Conquered the World
Dr. Tom Anderson
Tribute to a Bad Man
Fat Jones
The Conqueror
Chepei
The Vanishing American
Jay Lord
A Man Alone
Clanton
The Adventures of Champion
Frank
Cheyenne
Braden
Gunsmoke
Rad
The Naked Street
Harry Goldish (uncredited)
The Road to Denver
Pecos Larry
I Cover the Underworld
Flash Logan
Buffalo Bill Jr.
The Big Combo
Fante
Ten Wanted Men
Al Drucker
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Frank Emmett
Studio 57
Dawn at Socorro
Earl Ferris
Princess of the Nile
Hakar (uncredited)
The Desperado
Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
The Yellow Tomahawk
Fire Knife
Arrow In The Dust
Tillotson Henchman
Rails Into Laramie
Ace Winton
Gypsy Colt
Hank
Stories of the Century
Jesse James
Annie Oakley
Amos Belcher
The Nebraskan
Pvt. Reno Benton
Tumbleweed
Marv
Jack Slade
Bolt Mackay
City Detective
Vice Squad
Pete Monty
Arena
Smitty
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
Corp. Stone
White Lightning
Brutus Allen
The Bandits of Corsica
Nerva
General Electric Theater
Dave Rudabaugh
The Lawless Breed
Dirk Hanley
Kansas City Confidential
Tony Romano
The Ford Television Theatre
Cavalcade of America
Four Star Playhouse
Bob Wheeler aka Sonora Kid
Untamed Frontier
Dave Chittun
High Noon
Jack Colby
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Dallas Clancy
Boston Blackie
Captain Jansen
The Adventures of Kit Carson
The Gene Autry Show
Hod - Henchman
The Lone Ranger
Bull Harper