Lee Van Cleef
Known for
A great American villain of the Western, forever tied to the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, Lee Van Cleef spent years in supporting bad-guy parts before Leone made him a star, first as the bounty hunter Colonel Mortimer in 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965) and then as the ruthless Angel Eyes in 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966). His hawkish features and steely gaze became iconic. A commanding American actor and the definitive screen gunslinger of the genre.
Lee Van Cleef
82 Movies
39 Series
A great American villain of the Western, forever tied to the spaghetti Westerns of Sergio Leone. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, Lee Van Cleef spent years in supporting bad-guy parts before Leone made him a star, first as the bounty hunter Colonel Mortimer in 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965) and then as the ruthless Angel Eyes in 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly' (1966). His hawkish features and steely gaze became iconic. A commanding American actor and the definitive screen gunslinger of the genre.
Movies
Plays Sentenza / Angel Eyes
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1966
Plays Col. Douglas Mortimer
For a Few Dollars More
1965
Plays Jack Colby
High Noon
1952
Plays Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
Escape from New York
1981
Plays River Pirate
How the West Was Won
1962
Plays Reese
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962
Plays Ed Bailey
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
1957
Plays MSgt. Sullivan
Commandos
1968
Plays Ed McGaffey
The Tin Star
1957
Plays Marshal Chris Adams
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
1972
Plays McCarn
The Octagon
1980
Plays Corp. Stone
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
1953
Plays Ryan
Death Rides a Horse
1967
Plays 1st Sgt. Rickett
The Young Lions
1958
Plays Steve Margolies
Last Stagecoach West
1957
Plays Sabata
Sabata
1969
Plays Grandfather
Speed Zone
1989
Plays Frankie
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
1973
Plays Alfonso Parral
The Bravados
1958
Plays Jonathan Corbett
The Big Gundown
1967
Plays Travis
Barquero
1970
Plays Frank
Ride Lonesome
1959
Plays Dr. Tom Anderson
It Conquered the World
1956
Plays Frank Talby
Day of Anger
1967
Plays Chepei
The Conqueror
1956
Plays Jaroo
El Condor
1970
Plays Tony Romano
Kansas City Confidential
1952
Plays Maj. Cham
China Gate
1957
Plays Billy Joe Cudlip
Beyond the Law
1968
Plays Kiefer
Take a Hard Ride
1975
Plays Fante
The Big Combo
1955
Plays Al Drucker
Ten Wanted Men
1955
Plays Leo
Posse from Hell
1961
Plays Faro
The Lonely Man
1957
Plays Gus
Pardners
1956
Plays Dakota
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
1974
Plays Roy King
Bad Man's River
1971
Plays Clanton
A Man Alone
1955
Plays Sabata / Major
Return of Sabata
1971
Plays Frank Emmett
Treasure of Ruby Hills
1955
Plays Sheriff Clayton
The Grand Duel
1972
Plays Fat Jones
Tribute to a Bad Man
1956
Plays Father John / Lewis
God's Gun
1976
Plays Fire Knife
The Yellow Tomahawk
1954
Plays Pete Monty
Vice Squad
1953
Plays Dirk Hanley
The Lawless Breed
1952
Plays Miguel
Machete
1958
Plays Burt Roth
Armed Response
1986
Plays Ace Winton
Rails Into Laramie
1954
Plays Archie 'China' Travers
Code Name: Wild Geese
1984
TV Shows
Plays John Peter McAllister
The Master
1984
Plays Frank Diamond
The Untouchables
1959
Plays Skip
The Andy Griffith Show
1960
Plays Rad
Gunsmoke
1955
Plays Edward Doyle
Perry Mason
1957
Plays Dave Rudabaugh
General Electric Theater
1953
Plays Frank
The Adventures of Champion
1955
Plays Golias
Have Gun, Will Travel
1957
Plays Ike Milton
Yancy Derringer
1958
Plays Dallas Clancy
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
Plays Ed Murdock
Richard Diamond, Private Detective
1957
Plays Frank Sandoe
Black Saddle
1959
Plays Jumbo Kane
Wanted: Dead or Alive
1958
Plays Tracey
Law of the Plainsman
1959
Plays Luke Cragg
Riverboat
1959
Plays Al Sanders
Wire Service
1956
Plays Peak
The DuPont Show with June Allyson
1959
Plays Bull Harper
The Lone Ranger
1949
Plays Cherokee Kid
The Deputy
1959
Plays Deputy Clyde Wilson
Lawman
1958
Plays Mort Clio
Casey Jones
1957
Plays Ben Fraser
Trackdown
1957
Plays Braden
Cheyenne
1955
Plays 1st Mate Hawl Finch
Cavalcade of America
1952
Plays Bob Wheeler aka Sonora Kid
Four Star Playhouse
1952
Plays Stanley Perrin
The Ford Television Theatre
1952
Plays Appling
Bonanza
1959
Plays Sam Carver
Tombstone Territory
1957
Plays Majeski
77 Sunset Strip
1958
Plays Rufe Beal
Wagon Train
1957
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
Speed Zone
Full Filmography
Thieves of Fortune
Sergio Danielo Christophero
1990
Film
Speed Zone
Grandfather
1989
Film
The Commander
Col. Mazzarini
1988
Film
Armed Response
Burt Roth
1986
Film
Jungle Raiders
Warren
1985
Film
Code Name: Wild Geese
Archie 'China' Travers
1984
Film
Killing Machine
Julot
1984
Film
The Master
John Peter McAllister · 13 episodes
1984–
TV
Escape from New York
Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
1981
Film
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Lee Van Cleef still alive?
Lee Van Cleef passed away on December 16, 1989 at age 64.
What are the most famous roles of Lee Van Cleef?
Lee Van Cleef is best known for roles in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, For a Few Dollars More, Escape from New York.
How many movies has Lee Van Cleef been in?
Over a 37-year career (since 1952), Lee Van Cleef has appeared in 82 movies and 39 TV shows.
What was Lee Van Cleef's first movie?
The career of Lee Van Cleef began with High Noon (1952).
What is Lee Van Cleef's most recent movie or series?
Lee Van Cleef's most recent release is Thieves of Fortune, which premiered on May 31, 1990.
What TV shows has Lee Van Cleef appeared in?
On television, Lee Van Cleef has appeared in The Twilight Zone, Bonanza, Zorro, The Andy Griffith Show.
Lee Van Cleef
1925-01-09 · Somerville, 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".