Lee Van Cleef
Born January 09, 1925 (Age: 101)
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Somerville, New Jersey, USA
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".
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".
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Filmography
No Image
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor
2000
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as Col. Douglas Mortimer (archive footage)
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Age: 75
Thieves of Fortune
1990
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as Sergio Danielo Christophero
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Age: 65
Speed Zone
1989
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as Grandfather
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Age: 64
The Commander
1988
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as Col. Mazzarini
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Age: 63
Armed Response
1986
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as Burt Roth
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Age: 61
Jungle Raiders
1985
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as Warren
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Age: 60
The Master Ninja 5
1985
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as John Peter McAllister
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Age: 59
Code Name: Wild Geese
1984
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as Archie 'China' Travers
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Age: 59
Escape from New York
1981
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as Police Commissioner Bob Hauk
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Age: 56
The Octagon
1980
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as McCarn
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Age: 55
The Hard Way
1980
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as McNeal
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Age: 55
The Squeeze
1978
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as Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan
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Age: 53
Nowhere to Hide
1977
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as Ike Scanlon
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Age: 52
The Stranger and the Gunfighter
1974
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as Dakota
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Age: 48
Mean Frank and Crazy Tony
1973
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as Frankie
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Age: 48
The Grand Duel
1972
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as Sheriff Clayton
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Age: 47
The Magnificent Seven Ride!
1972
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as Marshal Chris Adams
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Age: 47
El Condor
1970
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as Jaroo
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Age: 45
Sabata
1969
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as Sabata
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Age: 44
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1966
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as Sentenza / Angel Eyes
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Age: 41
For a Few Dollars More
1965
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as Col. Douglas Mortimer
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Age: 40
How the West Was Won
1962
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as River Pirate (uncredited)
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Age: 37
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1962
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as Reese
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Age: 37
Posse from Hell
1961
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as Leo
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Age: 36
The Slowest Gun in the West
1960
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as Sam Bass
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Age: 35
Ride Lonesome
1959
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as Frank
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Age: 34
Guns, Girls and Gangsters
1959
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as Mike Bennett
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Age: 33
Machete
1958
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as Miguel
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Age: 33
The Bravados
1958
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as Alfonso Parral
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Age: 33
The Young Lions
1958
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as 1st Sgt. Rickett
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Age: 33
Day of the Badman
1958
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as Jake Hayes
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Age: 33
Accused of Murder
1956
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as Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey
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Age: 31
Pardners
1956
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as Gus
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Age: 31
It Conquered the World
1956
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as Dr. Tom Anderson
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Age: 31
Tribute to a Bad Man
1956
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as Fat Jones
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Age: 31
The Conqueror
1956
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as Chepei
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Age: 31
The Vanishing American
1955
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as Jay Lord
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Age: 30
A Man Alone
1955
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as Clanton
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Age: 30
The Naked Street
1955
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as Harry Goldish (uncredited)
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Age: 30
The Road to Denver
1955
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as Pecos Larry
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Age: 30
I Cover the Underworld
1955
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as Flash Logan
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Age: 30
The Big Combo
1955
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as Fante
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Age: 30
Ten Wanted Men
1955
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as Al Drucker
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Age: 30
Treasure of Ruby Hills
1955
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as Frank Emmett
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Age: 30
Dawn at Socorro
1954
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as Earl Ferris
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Age: 29
Princess of the Nile
1954
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as Hakar (uncredited)
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Age: 29
The Desperado
1954
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as Paul Clayton/Buck Clayton
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Age: 29
The Yellow Tomahawk
1954
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as Fire Knife
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Age: 29
Arrow In The Dust
1954
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as Tillotson Henchman
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Age: 29
Rails Into Laramie
1954
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as Ace Winton
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Age: 29
Gypsy Colt
1954
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as Hank
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Age: 29
The Nebraskan
1953
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as Pvt. Reno Benton
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Age: 28
Tumbleweed
1953
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as Marv
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Age: 28
Jack Slade
1953
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as Bolt Mackay
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Age: 28
Vice Squad
1953
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as Pete Monty
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Age: 28
Arena
1953
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as Smitty
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Age: 28
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
1953
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as Corp. Stone
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Age: 28
White Lightning
1953
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as Brutus Allen
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Age: 28
The Bandits of Corsica
1953
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as Nerva
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Age: 28