Lee Van Cleef
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1925-01-09
Day of Death
1989-12-16 (64 years old)
Place of Birth
Somerville, New Jersey, USA
Lee Van Cleef
Biography
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".
Known For
Acting
(2024)
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout
as Self (archive footage)
(2014)
Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann
as (archive footage)
(2003)
(2000)
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
as Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
(1990)
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
as Self (archive footage)
(1990)
Thieves of Fortune
as Sergio Danielo Christophero
(1989)
Speed Zone
as Grandfather
(1988)
The Commander
as Col. Mazzarini
(1986)
Armed Response
as Burt Roth
(1985)
Jungle Raiders
as Warren
(1985)
The Master Ninja 5
as John Peter McAllister
(1984)
Master Ninja
as John Peter McAllister
(1984)
Master Ninja II
as John Peter McAllister
(1984)
Code Name: Wild Geese
as Archie 'China' Travers
(1984)
Killing Machine
as Julot
(1981)
Escape from New York
as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
(1980)
The Octagon
as McCarn
(1980)
The Hard Way
as McNeal
(1979)
(1978)
The Squeeze
as Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
(1977)
Nowhere to Hide
as Ike Scanlon
(1977)
The Perfect Killer
as Harry Chapman
(1976)
God's Gun
as Father John / Lewis
(1976)
Kid Vengeance
as McClain
(1975)
Take a Hard Ride
as Kiefer
(1974)
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
as Dakota
(1973)
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
as Frankie
(1972)
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
as Marshal Chris Adams
(1972)
The Grand Duel
as Sheriff Clayton
(1971)
Bad Man's River
as Roy King
(1971)
Captain Apache
as Capt. Apache
(1971)
Return of Sabata
as Sabata / Major
(1970)
Barquero
as Travis
(1970)
El Condor
as Jaroo
(1969)
Sabata
as Sabata
(1968)
Commandos
as MSgt. Sullivan
(1968)
Beyond the Law
as Billy Joe Cudlip
(1967)
Day of Anger
as Frank Talby
(1967)
Death Rides a Horse
as Ryan
(1967)
The Big Gundown
as Jonathan Corbett
(1966)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
as Sentenza / Angel Eyes
(1965)
For a Few Dollars More
as Col. Douglas Mortimer
(1962)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
as Reese
(1962)
How the West Was Won
as River Pirate (uncredited)
(1961)
Posse from Hell
as Leo
(1960)
The Slowest Gun in the West
as Sam Bass
(1959)
Ride Lonesome
as Frank
(1959)
Guns, Girls and Gangsters
as Mike Bennett
(1958)
The Bravados
as Alfonso Parral
(1958)
The Young Lions
as 1st Sgt. Rickett
(1958)
Day of the Badman
as Jake Hayes
(1958)
Machete
as Miguel
(1957)
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
as Ed Bailey
(1957)
The Tin Star
as Ed McGaffey
(1957)
The Lonely Man
as Faro
(1957)
China Gate
as Maj. Cham
(1957)
Joe Dakota
as Adam Grant
(1957)
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
as Shad Donaphin
(1957)
Raiders of Old California
as Damon Pardee
(1957)
Last Stagecoach West
as Steve Margolies
(1957)
Gun Battle at Monterey
as Kirby
(1957)
The Quiet Gun
as Doug Sadler
(1956)
The Conqueror
as Chepei
(1956)
Pardners
as Gus
(1956)
Tribute to a Bad Man
as Fat Jones
(1956)
It Conquered the World
as Dr. Tom Anderson
(1956)
Accused of Murder
as Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
(1955)
The Big Combo
as Fante
(1955)
A Man Alone
as Clanton
(1955)
Ten Wanted Men
as Al Drucker
(1955)
The Road to Denver
as Pecos Larry
(1955)
The Naked Street
as Harry Goldish (uncredited)
(1955)
The Vanishing American
as Jay Lord
(1955)
Treasure of Ruby Hills
as Frank Emmett
(1955)
I Cover the Underworld
as Flash Logan
(1954)
Dawn at Socorro
as Earl Ferris
(1954)
Princess of the Nile
as Hakar (uncredited)
(1954)
Arrow In The Dust
as Tillotson Henchman
(1954)
The Yellow Tomahawk
as Fire Knife
(1954)
Gypsy Colt
as Hank
(1954)
Rails Into Laramie
as Ace Winton
(1954)
The Desperado
as Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
(1953)
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
as Corp. Stone
(1953)
Vice Squad
as Pete Monty
(1953)
Tumbleweed
as Marv
(1953)
Jack Slade
as Bolt Mackay
(1953)
Arena
as Smitty
(1953)
White Lightning
as Brutus Allen
(1953)
The Bandits of Corsica
as Nerva
(1953)
The Nebraskan
as Pvt. Reno Benton
(1952)
High Noon
as Jack Colby
(1952)
Kansas City Confidential
as Tony Romano
(1952)
The Lawless Breed
as Dirk Hanley
(1952)
Untamed Frontier
as Dave Chittun