Lee Van Cleef
Acting
🎂 1925-01-09
Clarence LeRoy "Lee" Van Cleef Jr. 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".
Cast credits(165)
Edward Doyle
1957
Appling
1959
1958
Skip
1960
1957
Rufe Beal
1957
Golias
1957
Corbin
1957
Braden
1955
Harry Bittercreek Bartender
1955
Steinhart
1959
Fred Grant
1959
Deck Sommers
1959
Bull Harper
1949
Jango
1949
Frank Diamond
1959
Sentenza / Angel Eyes
1966
1957
Rad
1955
John Hooker
1955
Ike Jeffords
1955
1958
Deputy Clyde Wilson
1958
Jumbo Kane
1958
Bob Wheeler aka Sonora Kid
1952
1959
1958
Majeski
1958
1958
Ben Fraser
1957
Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
1981
Cherokee Kid
1959
Luke Cragg
1959
1965
Col. Douglas Mortimer
1965
1954
Tommy
1954
1965
Frank Sandoe
1959
Frank Parnessa
1956
1952
Stanley Perrin
1952
Ed Murdock
1957
Sam Carver
1957
Amos Belcher
1954
Tim Brennan
1954
1952
1st Mate Hawl Finch
1952
1959
Peak
1959
Jack Colby
1952
Hod - Henchman
1950
Henchman Ray
1950
Tracey
1959
Reese
1962
Ike Milton
1958
River Pirate (uncredited)
1962
Captain Jansen
1951
Lou
1951
1963
1959
Corp. Stone
1953
Marshal Chris Adams
1972
John Peter McAllister
1984
Alfonso Parral
1958
1953
Travis
1970
Sabata
1969
Mort Clio
1957
Sabata / Major
1971
Lin Hyatt
1960
Hank
1954
Jake Hayes
1958
Mike Bennett
1959
John Peter McAllister
1984
Ryan
1967
Chepei
1956
McCarn
1980
Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
2000
Hakar (uncredited)
1954
1951
Ed Bailey
1957
MSgt. Sullivan
1968
1965
Self
1979
Al Sanders
1956
Clanton
1955
Ed McGaffey
1957
Frank
1959
Adam Grant
1957
Frank
1955
Marv
1953
Roy King
1971
Tillotson Henchman
1954
Billy Joe Cudlip
1968
Faro
1957
1st Sgt. Rickett
1958
Frank Talby
1967
Ace Winton
1954
Dakota
1974
John Peter McAllister
1985
Sheriff Clayton
1972
(archive footage)
2014
Damon Pardee
1957
Father John / Lewis
1976
John Peter McAllister
1984
Grandfather
1989
Archie 'China' Travers
1984
Pete Monty
1953
Fat Jones
1956
Fire Knife
1954
Capt. Apache
1971
Jay Lord
1955
Frank Emmett
1955
Fante
1955
Self (archive footage)
1990
Jaroo
1970
Shad Donaphin
1957
Frankie
1973
Jesse James
1954
Flash Logan
1955
1955
Pecos Larry
1955
Tony Romano
1952
Self (archive footage)
2024
Col. Mazzarini
1988
Ike Scanlon
1977
Dave Chittun
1952
Jonathan Corbett
1967
Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
1954
Julot
1984
Leo
1961
Gus
1956
Dave Rudabaugh
1953
Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
1956
Maj. Cham
1957
Kiefer
1975
Al Drucker
1955
Sam Bass
1960
Doug Sadler
1957
Dallas Clancy
1951
Sheriff
1951
Larkin
1951
Wink
1951
Cowboy
1951
Smitty
1953
Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
1978
Steve Margolies
1957
Dr. Tom Anderson
1956
Bolt Mackay
1953
Nerva
1953
Brutus Allen
1953
Pvt. Reno Benton
1953
Burt Roth
1986
McNeal
1980
Miguel
1958
Earl Ferris
1954
Kirby
1957
Harry Chapman
1977
Harry Goldish (uncredited)
1955
Dirk Hanley
1952
Warren
1985
McClain
1976
Sergio Danielo Christophero
1990
2003