Acting
Lee Van Cleef
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
Film · 2024
Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann
Film · 2014
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
Film · 2000
Thieves of Fortune
Film · 1990
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
Film · 1990
Speed Zone
Film · 1989
The Commander
Film · 1988
Armed Response
Film · 1986
Jungle Raiders
Film · 1985
The Master Ninja 5
Film · 1985
Killing Machine
Film · 1984
Code Name: Wild Geese
Film · 1984
Master Ninja
Film · 1984
Master Ninja II
Film · 1984
The Master
Series · 1984
Escape from New York
Film · 1981
The Octagon
Film · 1980
The Hard Way
Film · 1980
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Film · 1979
The Squeeze
Film · 1978
The Perfect Killer
Film · 1977
Nowhere to Hide
Film · 1977
Kid Vengeance
Film · 1976
God's Gun
Film · 1976
Take a Hard Ride
Film · 1975
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
Film · 1974
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
Film · 1973
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
Film · 1972
The Grand Duel
Film · 1972
Return of Sabata
Film · 1971
Bad Man's River
Film · 1971
Captain Apache
Film · 1971
Barquero
Film · 1970
El Condor
Film · 1970
Sabata
Film · 1969
Beyond the Law
Film · 1968
Commandos
Film · 1968
The Big Gundown
Film · 1967
Death Rides a Horse
Film · 1967
Day of Anger
Film · 1967
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
Film · 1966
For a Few Dollars More
Film · 1965
Laredo
Series · 1965
My Mother the Car
Series · 1965
Branded
Series · 1965
The Dakotas
Series · 1963
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
Film · 1962
How the West Was Won
Film · 1962
Posse from Hell
Film · 1961
The Slowest Gun in the West
Film · 1960
The Andy Griffith Show
Series · 1960
Stagecoach West
Series · 1960
Ride Lonesome
Film · 1959
Guns Girls and Gangsters
Film · 1959
Hawaiian Eye
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
The Alaskans
Series · 1959
Black Saddle
Series · 1959
Law of the Plainsman
Series · 1959
Riverboat
Series · 1959
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Series · 1959
The Deputy
Series · 1959
The Untouchables
Series · 1959
Rawhide
Series · 1959
Bonanza
Series · 1959
The Twilight Zone
Series · 1959
Mr. Lucky
Series · 1959
The Young Lions
Film · 1958
The Bravados
Film · 1958
Machete
Film · 1958
Day of the Badman
Film · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
Yancy Derringer
Series · 1958
Bronco
Series · 1958
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Series · 1958
The Rifleman
Series · 1958
Lawman
Series · 1958
Lawman
Series · 1958
77 Sunset Strip
Series · 1958
Bronco
Series · 1958
Lawman
Series · 1958
The Tin Star
Film · 1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
Film · 1957
The Lonely Man
Film · 1957
China Gate
Film · 1957
Raiders of Old California
Film · 1957
Joe Dakota
Film · 1957
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
Film · 1957
The Quiet Gun
Film · 1957
Gun Battle at Monterey
Film · 1957
Last Stagecoach West
Film · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
Zorro
Series · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Series · 1957
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
Series · 1957
Maverick
Series · 1957
Casey Jones
Series · 1957
Trackdown
Series · 1957
Tombstone Territory
Series · 1957
Have Gun, Will Travel
Series · 1957
Wagon Train
Series · 1957
Tombstone Territory
Series · 1957
Pardners
Film · 1956
It Conquered the World
Film · 1956
Accused of Murder
Film · 1956
Tribute to a Bad Man
Film · 1956
The Conqueror
Film · 1956
Wire Service
Series · 1956
State Trooper
Series · 1956
The Big Combo
Film · 1955
Ten Wanted Men
Film · 1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills
Film · 1955
The Vanishing American
Film · 1955
A Man Alone
Film · 1955
I Cover the Underworld
Film · 1955
The Road to Denver
Film · 1955
The Naked Street
Film · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
The Adventures of Champion
Series · 1955
Buffalo Bill Jr.
Series · 1955
Cheyenne
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Gunsmoke
Series · 1955
Cheyenne
Series · 1955
Gypsy Colt
Film · 1954
Arrow In The Dust
Film · 1954
Dawn at Socorro
Film · 1954
Princess of the Nile
Film · 1954
The Yellow Tomahawk
Film · 1954
Rails Into Laramie
Film · 1954
The Desperado
Film · 1954
Studio 57
Series · 1954
Annie Oakley
Series · 1954
Studio 57
Series · 1954
Annie Oakley
Series · 1954
Stories of the Century
Series · 1954
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
Film · 1953
Vice Squad
Film · 1953
The Bandits of Corsica
Film · 1953
Arena
Film · 1953
The Nebraskan
Film · 1953
Jack Slade
Film · 1953
Tumbleweed
Film · 1953
White Lightning
Film · 1953
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
City Detective
Series · 1953
High Noon
Film · 1952
Kansas City Confidential
Film · 1952
The Lawless Breed
Film · 1952
Untamed Frontier
Film · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Series · 1952
Cavalcade of America
Series · 1952
Four Star Playhouse
Series · 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
Series · 1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
The Adventures of Kit Carson
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Series · 1951
Boston Blackie
Series · 1951
Boston Blackie
Series · 1951
The Gene Autry Show
Series · 1950
The Gene Autry Show
Series · 1950
Space Patrol
Series · 1950
The Lone Ranger
Series · 1949
The Lone Ranger
Series · 1949