Lee Van Cleef

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

164

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. (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

  • Bonanza

    Bonanza

  • The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • The Rifleman

    The Rifleman

  • Wagon Train

    Wagon Train

  • The Twilight Zone

    The Twilight Zone

  • Cheyenne

    Cheyenne

  • Cheyenne

    Cheyenne

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • Four Star Playhouse

    Four Star Playhouse

  • The Untouchables

    The Untouchables

  • Wanted: Dead or Alive

    Wanted: Dead or Alive

  • The Lone Ranger

    The Lone Ranger

  • The Lone Ranger

    The Lone Ranger

  • Lawman

    Lawman

  • Lawman

    Lawman

  • Zorro

    Zorro

  • Hawaiian Eye

    Hawaiian Eye

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • State Trooper

    State Trooper

  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective

    Richard Diamond, Private Detective

  • Branded

    Branded

  • The Gene Autry Show

    The Gene Autry Show

  • The Gene Autry Show

    The Gene Autry Show

  • The Ford Television Theatre

    The Ford Television Theatre

  • The Ford Television Theatre

    The Ford Television Theatre

  • How the West Was Won

    How the West Was Won

  • Laredo

    Laredo

  • The Deputy

    The Deputy

  • Tombstone Territory

    Tombstone Territory

  • Studio 57

    Studio 57

  • Studio 57

    Studio 57

  • Bronco

    Bronco

  • Trackdown

    Trackdown

  • Escape from New York

    Escape from New York

  • Riverboat

    Riverboat

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson

    The DuPont Show with June Allyson

  • Black Saddle

    Black Saddle

  • For a Few Dollars More

    For a Few Dollars More

  • Annie Oakley

    Annie Oakley

  • Annie Oakley

    Annie Oakley

  • Boston Blackie

    Boston Blackie

  • Boston Blackie

    Boston Blackie

  • The Adventures of Kit Carson

    The Adventures of Kit Carson

  • The Alaskans

    The Alaskans

  • Law of the Plainsman

    Law of the Plainsman

  • Cavalcade of America

    Cavalcade of America

  • Cavalcade of America

    Cavalcade of America

  • The Magnificent Seven Ride!

    The Magnificent Seven Ride!

  • Yancy Derringer

    Yancy Derringer

  • Mr. Lucky

    Mr. Lucky

  • The Tin Star

    The Tin Star

  • Arrow In The Dust

    Arrow In The Dust

  • The Dakotas

    The Dakotas

  • When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

    When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

  • Sabata

    Sabata

  • Raiders of Old California

    Raiders of Old California

  • City Detective

    City Detective

  • High Noon

    High Noon

  • The Perfect Killer

    The Perfect Killer

  • Armed Response

    Armed Response

  • Wire Service

    Wire Service

  • Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

    Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

  • The Big Gundown

    The Big Gundown

  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

  • The Bravados

    The Bravados

  • Gun Battle at Monterey

    Gun Battle at Monterey

  • Day of Anger

    Day of Anger

  • Barquero

    Barquero

  • Dawn at Socorro

    Dawn at Socorro

  • Commandos

    Commandos

  • My Mother the Car

    My Mother the Car

  • Buffalo Bill Jr.

    Buffalo Bill Jr.

  • Captain Apache

    Captain Apache

  • Speed Zone

    Speed Zone

  • Code Name: Wild Geese

    Code Name: Wild Geese

  • Casey Jones

    Casey Jones

  • Master Ninja II

    Master Ninja II

  • Tribute to a Bad Man

    Tribute to a Bad Man

  • Master Ninja

    Master Ninja

  • The Lonely Man

    The Lonely Man

  • Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

    Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

  • The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

    The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

  • Bad Man's River

    Bad Man's River

  • The Squeeze

    The Squeeze

  • The Yellow Tomahawk

    The Yellow Tomahawk

  • Treasure of Ruby Hills

    Treasure of Ruby Hills

  • The Quiet Gun

    The Quiet Gun

  • Last Stagecoach West

    Last Stagecoach West

  • Stories of the Century

    Stories of the Century

  • Accused of Murder

    Accused of Murder

  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

    Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

  • Tumbleweed

    Tumbleweed

  • The Master

    The Master

  • Stagecoach West

    Stagecoach West

  • The Desperado

    The Desperado

  • Kansas City Confidential

    Kansas City Confidential

  • Take a Hard Ride

    Take a Hard Ride

  • Joe Dakota

    Joe Dakota

  • The Hard Way

    The Hard Way

  • Untamed Frontier

    Untamed Frontier

  • Ride Lonesome

    Ride Lonesome

  • Vice Squad

    Vice Squad

  • Guns, Girls and Gangsters

    Guns, Girls and Gangsters

  • Kid Vengeance

    Kid Vengeance

  • White Lightning

    White Lightning

  • The Road to Denver

    The Road to Denver

  • Ten Wanted Men

    Ten Wanted Men

  • Killing Machine

    Killing Machine

  • It Conquered the World

    It Conquered the World

  • The Octagon

    The Octagon

  • The Conqueror

    The Conqueror

  • El Condor

    El Condor

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • The Adventures of Champion

    The Adventures of Champion

  • China Gate

    China Gate

  • The Stranger and the Gunfighter

    The Stranger and the Gunfighter

  • Posse from Hell

    Posse from Hell

  • The Slowest Gun in the West

    The Slowest Gun in the West

  • God's Gun

    God's Gun

  • Gypsy Colt

    Gypsy Colt

  • Jack Slade

    Jack Slade

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • Death Rides a Horse

    Death Rides a Horse

  • Thieves of Fortune

    Thieves of Fortune

  • The Commander

    The Commander

  • The Grand Duel

    The Grand Duel

  • The Vanishing American

    The Vanishing American

  • A Man Alone

    A Man Alone

  • Day of the Badman

    Day of the Badman

  • The Lawless Breed

    The Lawless Breed

  • The Young Lions

    The Young Lions

  • The Nebraskan

    The Nebraskan

  • Beyond the Law

    Beyond the Law

  • Return of Sabata

    Return of Sabata

  • The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

    The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

  • The Naked Street

    The Naked Street

  • Rails Into Laramie

    Rails Into Laramie

  • The Big Combo

    The Big Combo

  • Pardners

    Pardners

  • Arena

    Arena

  • Princess of the Nile

    Princess of the Nile

  • Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

    Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

  • The Badge of Marshal Brennan

    The Badge of Marshal Brennan

  • The Bandits of Corsica

    The Bandits of Corsica

  • Octagon : le combat des maîtres

    Octagon : le combat des maîtres

  • Machete

    Machete

  • Jungle Raiders

    Jungle Raiders

  • I Cover the Underworld

    I Cover the Underworld

  • The Master Ninja 5

    The Master Ninja 5

  • Nowhere to Hide

    Nowhere to Hide