Snape
← Home
Lee Van Cleef

Lee Van Cleef

Acting

Born: January 9, 1925Somerville, New Jersey, USA

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
Filmography
The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

Self (archive footage)

2024

Peter Baumgartner, Filmkameramann

(archive footage)

2014

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)

2000
Thieves of Fortune

Thieves of Fortune

Sergio Danielo Christophero

1990
Speed Zone

Speed Zone

Grandfather

1989
The Commander

The Commander

Col. Mazzarini

1988
Armed Response

Armed Response

Burt Roth

1986
Jungle Raiders

Jungle Raiders

Warren

1985
The Master Ninja 5

The Master Ninja 5

John Peter McAllister

1985
Code Name: Wild Geese

Code Name: Wild Geese

Archie 'China' Travers

1984
Killing Machine

Killing Machine

Julot

1984
Master Ninja II

Master Ninja II

John Peter McAllister

1984
Master Ninja

Master Ninja

John Peter McAllister

1984
Escape from New York

Escape from New York

Police Commissioner Bob Hauk

1981
The Octagon

The Octagon

McCarn

1980
The Hard Way

The Hard Way

McNeal

1980
When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

Self

1979
The Squeeze

The Squeeze

Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan

1978
The Perfect Killer

The Perfect Killer

Harry Chapman

1977
Nowhere to Hide

Nowhere to Hide

Ike Scanlon

1977
Kid Vengeance

Kid Vengeance

McClain

1976
God's Gun

God's Gun

Father John / Lewis

1976
Take a Hard Ride

Take a Hard Ride

Kiefer

1975
The Stranger and the Gunfighter

The Stranger and the Gunfighter

Dakota

1974
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

Frankie

1973
The Grand Duel

The Grand Duel

Sheriff Clayton

1972
The Magnificent Seven Ride!

The Magnificent Seven Ride!

Marshal Chris Adams

1972
Captain Apache

Captain Apache

Capt. Apache

1971
Bad Man's River

Bad Man's River

Roy King

1971
Return of Sabata

Return of Sabata

Sabata / Major

1971
Barquero

Barquero

Travis

1970
El Condor

El Condor

Jaroo

1970
Sabata

Sabata

Sabata

1969
Commandos

Commandos

MSgt. Sullivan

1968
Beyond the Law

Beyond the Law

Billy Joe Cudlip

1968
Day of Anger

Day of Anger

Frank Talby

1967
Death Rides a Horse

Death Rides a Horse

Ryan

1967
The Big Gundown

The Big Gundown

Jonathan Corbett

1967
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Sentenza / Angel Eyes

1966
For a Few Dollars More

For a Few Dollars More

Col. Douglas Mortimer

1965
How the West Was Won

How the West Was Won

River Pirate (uncredited)

1962
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Reese

1962
Posse from Hell

Posse from Hell

Leo

1961
The Slowest Gun in the West

The Slowest Gun in the West

Sam Bass

1960
Ride Lonesome

Ride Lonesome

Frank

1959
Guns, Girls and Gangsters

Guns, Girls and Gangsters

Mike Bennett

1959
Machete

Machete

Miguel

1958
The Bravados

The Bravados

Alfonso Parral

1958
The Young Lions

The Young Lions

1st Sgt. Rickett

1958
Day of the Badman

Day of the Badman

Jake Hayes

1958
The Tin Star

The Tin Star

Ed McGaffey

1957
Raiders of Old California

Raiders of Old California

Damon Pardee

1957
Gun Battle at Monterey

Gun Battle at Monterey

Kirby

1957
Joe Dakota

Joe Dakota

Adam Grant

1957
The Quiet Gun

The Quiet Gun

Doug Sadler

1957
Last Stagecoach West

Last Stagecoach West

Steve Margolies

1957
The Lonely Man

The Lonely Man

Faro

1957
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

Ed Bailey

1957
China Gate

China Gate

Maj. Cham

1957
The Badge of Marshal Brennan

The Badge of Marshal Brennan

Shad Donaphin

1957
Accused of Murder

Accused of Murder

Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey

1956
Pardners

Pardners

Gus

1956
It Conquered the World

It Conquered the World

Dr. Tom Anderson

1956
Tribute to a Bad Man

Tribute to a Bad Man

Fat Jones

1956
The Conqueror

The Conqueror

Chepei

1956
The Vanishing American

The Vanishing American

Jay Lord

1955
A Man Alone

A Man Alone

Clanton

1955
The Naked Street

The Naked Street

Harry Goldish (uncredited)

1955
The Road to Denver

The Road to Denver

Pecos Larry

1955
I Cover the Underworld

I Cover the Underworld

Flash Logan

1955
The Big Combo

The Big Combo

Fante

1955
Ten Wanted Men

Ten Wanted Men

Al Drucker

1955
Treasure of Ruby Hills

Treasure of Ruby Hills

Frank Emmett

1955
Dawn at Socorro

Dawn at Socorro

Earl Ferris

1954
Princess of the Nile

Princess of the Nile

Hakar (uncredited)

1954
The Desperado

The Desperado

Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton

1954
The Yellow Tomahawk

The Yellow Tomahawk

Fire Knife

1954
Arrow In The Dust

Arrow In The Dust

Tillotson Henchman

1954
Rails Into Laramie

Rails Into Laramie

Ace Winton

1954
Gypsy Colt

Gypsy Colt

Hank

1954
The Nebraskan

The Nebraskan

Pvt. Reno Benton

1953
Tumbleweed

Tumbleweed

Marv

1953
Jack Slade

Jack Slade

Bolt Mackay

1953
Vice Squad

Vice Squad

Pete Monty

1953
Arena

Arena

Smitty

1953
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

Corp. Stone

1953
White Lightning

White Lightning

Brutus Allen

1953
The Bandits of Corsica

The Bandits of Corsica

Nerva

1953
The Lawless Breed

The Lawless Breed

Dirk Hanley

1952
Kansas City Confidential

Kansas City Confidential

Tony Romano

1952
Untamed Frontier

Untamed Frontier

Dave Chittun

1952
High Noon

High Noon

Jack Colby

1952