Lee Van Cleef

Acting

Born Jan 09, 1925

From Somerville, New Jersey, USA

Died Dec 16, 1989

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".

Lee Van Cleef

Known For

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

For a Few Dollars More

Escape from New York

The Octagon

High Noon

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

How the West Was Won

Speed Zone

Death Rides a Horse

Filmography — Acting

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

For a Few Dollars More

Escape from New York

The Octagon

High Noon

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

How the West Was Won

Speed Zone

Death Rides a Horse

The Magnificent Seven Ride!

Return of Sabata

The Lonely Man

Day of Anger

The Conqueror

Barquero

The Bravados

The Tin Star

Vice Squad

The Young Lions

Bad Man's River

Sabata

The Stranger and the Gunfighter

A Man Alone

Killing Machine

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms

Ride Lonesome

Ten Wanted Men

Commandos

Posse from Hell

God's Gun

El Condor

The Big Gundown

Kansas City Confidential

Accused of Murder

The Big Combo

Pardners

China Gate

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony

Master Ninja II

The Grand Duel

The Conqueror: Hollywood Fallout

Machete

Captain Apache

Beyond the Law

Master Ninja

It Conquered the World

Take a Hard Ride

Gypsy Colt

Arena

Armed Response

Kid Vengeance

The Lawless Breed

Raiders of Old California

Tumbleweed

Day of the Badman

Tribute to a Bad Man

The Commander

The Yellow Tomahawk

The Desperado

The Naked Street

Jungle Raiders

Joe Dakota

The Squeeze

Jack Slade

When the West Was Fun: A Western Reunion

Code Name: Wild Geese