Highest rated as cast or director
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".
Acted in 144
2000s
- 2000
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
1990s
- 1990
Thieves of Fortune
Sergio Danielo Christophero
1980s
- 1989
- 1988
The Commander
Col. Mazzarini
- 1986
Armed Response
Burt Roth
- 1985
Jungle Raiders
Warren
The Master Ninja 5
John Peter McAllister
- 1984
Code Name: Wild Geese
Archie 'China' Travers
Killing Machine
Julot
Master Ninja
John Peter McAllister
Master Ninja II
John Peter McAllister
- 1981
- 1980
The Hard Way
McNeal
1970s
- 1978
- 1977
The Perfect Killer
Harry Chapman
Nowhere to Hide
Ike Scanlon
- 1976
- 1975
Take a Hard Ride
Kiefer
- 1974
- 1973
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
Frankie
- 1972
- 1971
- 1970
El Condor
Jaroo
1960s
- 1969
- 1968
- 1967
The Big Gundown
Jonathan Corbett
- 1966
Blade Rider, Revenge of the Indian Nations
Charlie Yates
- 1965
My Mother the Car
TV
- 1963
- 1962
- 1961
Posse from Hell
Leo
- 1960
The Slowest Gun in the West
Sam Bass
1950s
- 1959
Guns Girls and Gangsters
Mike Bennett
- 1958
Machete
Miguel
Day of the Badman
Jake Hayes
- 1957
Joe Dakota
Adam Grant
Gun Battle at Monterey
Kirby
Casey Jones
Mort Clio · 1 episode
The Quiet Gun
Doug Sadler
Last Stagecoach West
Steve Margolies
The Lonely Man
Faro
China Gate
Maj. Cham
The Badge of Marshal Brennan
Shad Donaphin
- 1956
Accused of Murder
Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
Pardners
Gus
It Conquered the World
Dr. Tom Anderson
Tribute to a Bad Man
Fat Jones
The Conqueror
Chepei
- 1955
The Vanishing American
Jay Lord
A Man Alone
Clanton
The Adventures of Champion
Frank · 1 episode
The Road to Denver
Pecos Larry
I Cover the Underworld
Flash Logan
Buffalo Bill Jr.
TV
- 1954
Dawn at Socorro
Earl Ferris
Princess of the Nile
Hakar (uncredited)
The Desperado
Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
The Yellow Tomahawk
Fire Knife
Arrow In The Dust
Tillotson Henchman
Rails Into Laramie
Ace Winton
Gypsy Colt
Hank
- 1953
The Nebraskan
Pvt. Reno Benton
Jack Slade
Bolt Mackay
Vice Squad
Pete Monty
Arena
Smitty
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
Corp. Stone
White Lightning
Brutus Allen
The Bandits of Corsica
Nerva
General Electric Theater
Dave Rudabaugh · 1 episode
- 1952
The Lawless Breed
Dirk Hanley
Untamed Frontier
Dave Chittun
- 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Dallas Clancy, Sheriff, Larkin, Wink, Cowboy · 1 episode
- 1950
Appearances3
1990s
- 1990
The Best of the Martial Arts Films
Self
1970s
- 1979
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion
Self