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

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Bonanza

    Bonanza

  • Maverick

    Maverick

  • The Twilight Zone

    The Twilight Zone

  • The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

  • The Rifleman

    The Rifleman

  • Wagon Train

    Wagon Train

  • Cheyenne

    Cheyenne

  • Cheyenne

    Cheyenne

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • Rawhide

    Rawhide

  • The Untouchables

    The Untouchables

  • The Lone Ranger

    The Lone Ranger

  • The Lone Ranger

    The Lone Ranger

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Gunsmoke

    Gunsmoke

  • Zorro

    Zorro

  • Wanted: Dead or Alive

    Wanted: Dead or Alive

  • The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

    The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

  • Four Star Playhouse

    Four Star Playhouse

  • Richard Diamond, Private Detective

    Richard Diamond, Private Detective

  • Lawman

    Lawman

  • Lawman

    Lawman

  • High Noon

    High Noon

  • Hawaiian Eye

    Hawaiian Eye

  • The Ford Television Theatre

    The Ford Television Theatre

  • The Ford Television Theatre

    The Ford Television Theatre

  • Barquero

    Barquero

  • Thieves of Fortune

    Thieves of Fortune

  • Ride Lonesome

    Ride Lonesome

  • Kid Vengeance

    Kid Vengeance

  • God's Gun

    God's Gun

  • Trackdown

    Trackdown

  • Black Saddle

    Black Saddle

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • 77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

  • The Deputy

    The Deputy

  • Law of the Plainsman

    Law of the Plainsman

  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson

    The DuPont Show with June Allyson

  • Tombstone Territory

    Tombstone Territory

  • State Trooper

    State Trooper

  • Laredo

    Laredo

  • Studio 57

    Studio 57

  • Studio 57

    Studio 57

  • Escape from New York

    Escape from New York

  • Annie Oakley

    Annie Oakley

  • Annie Oakley

    Annie Oakley

  • Joe Dakota

    Joe Dakota

  • Pardners

    Pardners

  • Bronco

    Bronco

  • For a Few Dollars More

    For a Few Dollars More

  • Branded

    Branded

  • Riverboat

    Riverboat

  • Mr. Lucky

    Mr. Lucky

  • The Yellow Tomahawk

    The Yellow Tomahawk

  • Boston Blackie

    Boston Blackie

  • Boston Blackie

    Boston Blackie

  • Wire Service

    Wire Service

  • A Man Alone

    A Man Alone

  • City Detective

    City Detective

  • The Alaskans

    The Alaskans

  • Princess of the Nile

    Princess of the Nile

  • Cavalcade of America

    Cavalcade of America

  • Cavalcade of America

    Cavalcade of America

  • The Adventures of Kit Carson

    The Adventures of Kit Carson

  • It Conquered the World

    It Conquered the World

  • Ten Wanted Men

    Ten Wanted Men

  • Posse from Hell

    Posse from Hell

  • The Gene Autry Show

    The Gene Autry Show

  • The Gene Autry Show

    The Gene Autry Show

  • Yancy Derringer

    Yancy Derringer

  • Jack Slade

    Jack Slade

  • The Commander

    The Commander

  • Stories of the Century

    Stories of the Century

  • Stagecoach West

    Stagecoach West

  • The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

    The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

  • The Dakotas

    The Dakotas

  • The Nebraskan

    The Nebraskan

  • Guns, Girls and Gangsters

    Guns, Girls and Gangsters

  • Treasure of Ruby Hills

    Treasure of Ruby Hills

  • The Octagon

    The Octagon

  • How the West Was Won

    How the West Was Won

  • Machete

    Machete

  • The Perfect Killer

    The Perfect Killer

  • The Naked Street

    The Naked Street

  • The Master

    The Master

  • Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

    Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

  • I Cover the Underworld

    I Cover the Underworld

  • The Tin Star

    The Tin Star

  • Death Rides a Horse

    Death Rides a Horse

  • The Magnificent Seven Ride!

    The Magnificent Seven Ride!

  • The Conqueror

    The Conqueror

  • My Mother the Car

    My Mother the Car

  • Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

    Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

  • The Adventures of Champion

    The Adventures of Champion

  • Buffalo Bill Jr.

    Buffalo Bill Jr.

  • The Bravados

    The Bravados

  • The Young Lions

    The Young Lions

  • Sabata

    Sabata

  • Gypsy Colt

    Gypsy Colt

  • Kansas City Confidential

    Kansas City Confidential

  • Return of Sabata

    Return of Sabata

  • The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

    The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

  • Speed Zone

    Speed Zone

  • Day of Anger

    Day of Anger

  • 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

  • Master Ninja

    Master Ninja

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • The Lawless Breed

    The Lawless Breed

  • Casey Jones

    Casey Jones

  • Bad Man's River

    Bad Man's River

  • Rails Into Laramie

    Rails Into Laramie

  • The Big Gundown

    The Big Gundown

  • El Condor

    El Condor

  • Captain Apache

    Captain Apache

  • Beyond the Law

    Beyond the Law

  • The Big Combo

    The Big Combo

  • The Stranger and the Gunfighter

    The Stranger and the Gunfighter

  • Tribute to a Bad Man

    Tribute to a Bad Man

  • The Grand Duel

    The Grand Duel

  • Take a Hard Ride

    Take a Hard Ride

  • The Hard Way

    The Hard Way

  • Untamed Frontier

    Untamed Frontier

  • Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

    Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

  • China Gate

    China Gate

  • Accused of Murder

    Accused of Murder

  • Commandos

    Commandos

  • Dawn at Socorro

    Dawn at Socorro

  • Vice Squad

    Vice Squad

  • Armed Response

    Armed Response

  • Code Name: Wild Geese

    Code Name: Wild Geese

  • The Badge of Marshal Brennan

    The Badge of Marshal Brennan

  • Day of the Badman

    Day of the Badman

  • When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

    When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

  • Killing Machine

    Killing Machine

  • The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

    The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

  • The Lonely Man

    The Lonely Man

  • Raiders of Old California

    Raiders of Old California

  • Tumbleweed

    Tumbleweed

  • Jungle Raiders

    Jungle Raiders

  • The Slowest Gun in the West

    The Slowest Gun in the West

  • Master Ninja II

    Master Ninja II

  • Arrow In The Dust

    Arrow In The Dust

  • The Squeeze

    The Squeeze

  • Nowhere to Hide

    Nowhere to Hide

  • Last Stagecoach West

    Last Stagecoach West

  • Arena

    Arena

  • White Lightning

    White Lightning

  • The Quiet Gun

    The Quiet Gun

  • The Master Ninja 5

    The Master Ninja 5

  • The Bandits of Corsica

    The Bandits of Corsica

  • The Vanishing American

    The Vanishing American

  • The Road to Denver

    The Road to Denver

  • Gun Battle at Monterey

    Gun Battle at Monterey

  • The Desperado

    The Desperado

  • Octagon : le combat des maîtres

    Octagon : le combat des maîtres

  • Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

    Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann