Clarence Leroy "Lee" Van Cleef, Jr. (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989), was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Westerns and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his being cast as a villain in scores of films, such as Kansas City Confidential, High Noon, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. After his success in the last of these, he played the hero in many of his later movies.
| # | Fact |
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| 1 | His death certificate gave throat cancer as a secondary cause of death. |
| 2 | When still working as an accountant, Van Cleef was offered an acting job "starting on Monday." He protested that he needed to give his employer two weeks' notice, only to be told that he started on Monday or didn't start at all. When Van Cleef's employer heard this, he promptly fired him, removing the need for any notice period. |
| 3 | Served in the US Navy from 1942-46. |
| 4 | Producer Stuart Cohen recently revealed that Van Cleef was considered for the role of Garry in John Carpenter's The Thing (1982), since Carpenter had recently worked with him on Escape from New York (1981). |
| 5 | He was involved in a car accident in 1959 in which he lost his left kneecap. Doctors told him he would never be able to ride a horse again because of the injury. Within six months he was back in the saddle. |
| 6 | Was on the short list of actors under consideration for arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987). |
| 7 | Interviewed in "Bad at the Bijou" by William R. Horner (McFarland, 1982). |
| 8 | Was portrayed as a bounty hunter in the Lucky Luke comic book "The Bounty Hunter". |
| 9 | Son of Clarence Leroy Van Cleef and Maria Lavinia Van Fleet, both mostly of Dutch ancestry. He also had distant French, Swedish, Belgian (Flemish), English, and German, roots. |
| 10 | During one summer in the early 1950s he was a camp counselor in NYC for Marc Furstenberg. |
| 11 | Was the inspiration for the character Revolver Ocelot in the "Metal Gear" series of games. |
| 12 | According to the book "Weird NJ" (Sceurman, Mark and Mark Moran, Barnes and Noble Books, 2004 ISBN 0-7607-3979-X) he was a descendant of the Morris County Van Cleefs who were infamous in the area for their strange living and "procreational" efforts. In fact, one trait that Lee had was that he had one green eye and one blue eye. According to the book, "this telltale characteristic was corrected in the movies with colored contact lenses". |
| 13 | He had almost given up his acting career in the mid-'60s and turned to painting when he was cast by Sergio Leone in For a Few Dollars More (1965). It made him a superstar in Europe and restarted his career in the US, making him again a recognizable and bankable name. |
| 14 | One episode of his short-lived TV series, The Master (1984), was titled "The Good, The Bad and the Priceless". |
| 15 | He had three children from his first marriage: Alan (B. 1947), Deborah (B. 1948), and David. In 1960, when Lee married his second wife Joan Miller. They adopted a daughter, Denise. |
| 16 | He was missing the last joint of his middle finger, a disfigurement prominently featured in the climactic gunfight of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). He actually lost it while building a playhouse for his daughter, although there were rumors that it happened in a road accident or a bar fight. |
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|
| Thieves of Fortune | 1990 | | Sergio Danielo Christophero |
| Speed Zone | 1989 | | Rock-Skipping Grandfather |
| Der Commander | 1988 | | Col. Mazzarini |
| Armed Response | 1986 | | Burt Roth |
| La leggenda del rubino malese | 1985 | | Warren |
| Geheimcode Wildgänse | 1984 | | China |
| The Master | 1984 | TV Series | John Peter McAllister / The Master |
| Goma-2 | 1984 | | Julot |
| Escape from New York | 1981 | | Hauk |
| The Octagon | 1980 | | McCarn |
| The Hard Way | 1979 | TV Movie | McNeal |
| The Squeeze | 1978 | | Chris Gretchko / Ray Sloan |
| The Perfect Killer | 1977 | | Harry Chapman |
| Nowhere to Hide | 1977 | TV Movie | Ike Scanlon |
| Vengeance | 1977 | | McClain |
| Diamante Lobo | 1976 | | Father John / Lewis |
| Take a Hard Ride | 1975 | | Kiefer |
| El kárate, el Colt y el impostor | 1974 | | Dakota |
| Mean Frank and Crazy Tony | 1973 | | Frankie Diomede |
| The Grand Duel | 1972 | | Sheriff Clayton |
| The Magnificent Seven Ride! | 1972 | | Chris |
| Bad Man's River | 1971 | | Roy King |
| È tornato Sabata... hai chiuso un'altra volta! | 1971 | | Sabata / Major |
| Captain Apache | 1971 | | Capt. Apache |
| El Condor | 1970 | | Jaroo |
| Barquero | 1970 | | Travis |
| Sabata | 1969 | | Sabata |
| Commandos | 1968 | | MSgt. Sullivan |
| Al di l | 1968 | | Billy Joe Cudlip |
| Day of Anger | 1967 | | Frank Talby |
| Death Rides a Horse | 1967 | | Ryan |
| The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | 1966 | | Sentenza Angel Eyes |
| La resa dei conti | 1966 | | Jonathan 'Colorado' Corbett |
| Gunsmoke | 1960-1966 | TV Series | Ike Jeffords / Johnny Hooker / Rad Meadows |
| Laredo | 1966 | TV Series | Big Mike Kelly |
| Branded | 1965-1966 | TV Series | Charlie Yates / Fred Slater |
| For a Few Dollars More | 1965 | | Col. Douglas Mortimer |
| My Mother the Car | 1965 | TV Series | Nick Fitch |
| The Andy Griffith Show | 1965 | TV Series | Skip |
| Rawhide | 1964 | TV Series | Deck Sommers / Fred Grant |
| Destry | 1964 | TV Series | Ace Slater |
| The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters | 1963 | TV Series | Raoul Volta |
| 77 Sunset Strip | 1960-1963 | TV Series | Majeski / Deek |
| Laramie | 1960-1963 | TV Series | Caleb / Mac Morgan / Dawson / ... |
| Have Gun - Will Travel | 1962-1963 | TV Series | Golias / Corbin |
| The Dick Powell Theatre | 1963 | TV Series | Salty |
| Perry Mason | 1963 | TV Series | Edward Doyle |
| The Dakotas | 1962-1963 | TV Series | Slade Tucker / Larry Jackson |
| Ripcord | 1962-1963 | TV Series | Jack Martin / Henry Kane |
| How the West Was Won | 1962 | | River Pirate (uncredited) |
| The Rifleman | 1959-1962 | TV Series | Johnny Drako / Wicks / Stinger / ... |
| Death Valley Days | 1954-1962 | TV Series | Brogger / Fred Daniels |
| Cheyenne | 1961-1962 | TV Series | Harry / Larry Jackson / Braden |
| The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance | 1962 | | Reese |
| Bronco | 1961-1962 | TV Series | Charley Clune / Shanghai Williams |
| The Joey Bishop Show | 1962 | TV Series | |
| The Twilight Zone | 1961 | TV Series | Steinhart |
| Posse from Hell | 1961 | | Leo |
| Stagecoach West | 1961 | TV Series | Lin Hyatt |
| Maverick | 1961 | TV Series | Wolf McManus |
| Hawaiian Eye | 1961 | TV Series | Manuel |
| Shotgun Slade | 1961 | TV Series | Buck |
| Bonanza | 1960 | TV Series | Appling |
| Lawman | 1958-1960 | TV Series | Jack Saunders Deputy Clyde Wilson Ned Scott ... |
| Colt .45 | 1958-1960 | TV Series | Red Feather / Devery |
| Mr. Lucky | 1960 | TV Series | Kruger |
| The Deputy | 1960 | TV Series | Cherokee Kid |
| The Slowest Gun in the West | 1960 | TV Movie | Sam Bass |
| Black Saddle | 1960 | TV Series | Frank Sandoo |
| The Untouchables | 1960 | TV Series | Frank Diamond |
| The Alaskans | 1960 | TV Series | Roc |
| Hotel de Paree | 1960 | TV Series | Thompson |
| The DuPont Show with June Allyson | 1960 | TV Series | Peak |
| Law of the Plainsman | 1959 | TV Series | Tracey |
| Riverboat | 1959 | TV Series | Luke Cragg |
| Tombstone Territory | 1959 | TV Series | Jake Conroy / Sam Carver |
| Wanted: Dead or Alive | 1959 | TV Series | Jumbo Kane |
| The Real McCoys | 1959 | TV Series | 1st Sentry |
| Yancy Derringer | 1959 | TV Series | Ike Milton / Frank James |
| Cimarron City | 1959 | TV Series | Tom |
| Fury | 1959 | TV Series | Race Collins |
| Ride Lonesome | 1959 | | Frank |
| Northwest Passage | 1959 | TV Series | Frank Wade |
| Frontier Doctor | 1958 | TV Series | Deputy Sid Carver aka Bill Dalton |
| Machete | 1958 | | Miguel |
| Guns, Girls, and Gangsters | 1958 | | Mike Bennett |
| Zorro | 1958 | TV Series | Antonio Castillo |
| Target | 1958 | TV Series | |
| The Bravados | 1958 | | Alfonso Parral |
| State Trooper | 1958 | TV Series | Frank Parnessa |
| The Young Lions | 1958 | | 1st Sgt. Rickett |
| Richard Diamond, Private Detective | 1958 | TV Series | Ed Murdock |
| Day of the Badman | 1958 | | Jake Hayes |
| Wagon Train | 1958 | TV Series | Rufe Beal |
| Trackdown | 1957 | TV Series | Ben Fraser |
| Raiders of Old California | 1957 | | Sgt. Damon Pardee |
| Casey Jones | 1957 | TV Series | Mort Clio |
| Gun Battle at Monterey | 1957 | | Kirby |
| The Tin Star | 1957 | | Ed McGaffey |
| General Electric Theater | 1957 | TV Series | Dave Rudabaugh |
| Joe Dakota | 1957 | | Adam Grant |
| The Last Stagecoach West | 1957 | | Steve Margolies |
| The Lonely Man | 1957 | | Faro |
| Gunfight at the O.K. Corral | 1957 | | Ed Bailey |
| China Gate | 1957 | | Maj. Cham |
| The Badge of Marshal Brennan | 1957 | | Shad Donaphin |
| Schlitz Playhouse | 1953-1957 | TV Series | Cowboy / Wink / Larkin / ... |
| Tales of Wells Fargo | 1957 | TV Series | Cherokee Bob |
| Soldiers of Fortune | 1957 | TV Series | Sergeant Bucheroff |
| The Quiet Gun | 1957 | | Doug Sadler |
| Accused of Murder | 1956 | | Police Sgt. Emmett Lackey |
| Crossroads | 1956 | TV Series | Charlie |
| The Sheriff of Cochise | 1956 | TV Series | Hackett |
| Wire Service | 1956 | TV Series | Al Sanders |
| The Ford Television Theatre | 1954-1956 | TV Series | Stanley Perrin |
| Pardners | 1956 | | Gus |
| It Conquered the World | 1956 | | Dr. Tom Anderson |
| Chevron Hall of Stars | 1956 | TV Series | Thomas |
| Tribute to a Bad Man | 1956 | | Fat Jones |
| Studio 57 | 1956 | TV Series | Tommy |
| The Conqueror | 1956 | | Chepei |
| The Millionaire | 1956 | TV Series | Howard Branch |
| Brave Eagle | 1955 | TV Series | Great Bear |
| The Vanishing American | 1955 | | Jay Lord |
| A Man Alone | 1955 | | Clanton |
| The Adventures of Champion | 1955 | TV Series | Frank |
| Luke and the Tenderfoot | 1955 | TV Series | Johnny Dark |
| The Naked Street | 1955 | | Harry Goldish (uncredited) |
| The Star and the Story | 1955 | TV Series | |
| The Road to Denver | 1955 | | Pecos Larry |
| The Man Behind the Badge | 1955 | TV Series | Floyd |
| I Cover the Underworld | 1955 | | Flash Logan |
| Annie Oakley | 1955 | TV Series | Amos Belcher / Tim Brennan |
| Buffalo Bill, Jr. | 1955 | TV Series | Tom Stace / John-O |
| City Detective | 1955 | TV Series | Hardtman |
| TV Reader's Digest | 1955 | TV Series | Mike |
| The Big Combo | 1955 | | Fante |
| Ten Wanted Men | 1955 | | Al Drucker |
| Treasure of Ruby Hills | 1955 | | Frank Emmett |
| The Adventures of Kit Carson | 1953-1955 | TV Series | Sheriff Ned Jackson / Maj. Farnsworth and Vance Howard / Burt Tanner / ... |
| The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin | 1954 | TV Series | Ed McCleod |
| Medic | 1954 | TV Series | Dr. Frank Strauss |
| The Gene Autry Show | 1953-1954 | TV Series | Henchman Ray / Henchman Hod |
| Dawn at Socorro | 1954 | | Earl Ferris |
| Waterfront | 1954 | TV Series | Ed |
| The Desperado | 1954 | | Paul Clayton / Buck Clayton |
| Princess of the Nile | 1954 | | Hakar (uncredited) |
| Cavalcade of America | 1953-1954 | TV Series | |
| The Yellow Tomahawk | 1954 | | Fire Knife |
| Arrow in the Dust | 1954 | | Tillotson Henchman |
| Rails Into Laramie | 1954 | | Ace Winton |
| Gypsy Colt | 1954 | | Hank |
| Stories of the Century | 1954 | TV Series | Jesse James |
| Big Town | 1953-1954 | TV Series | Jack Coleman / Rick |
| The Nebraskan | 1953 | | Pvt. Reno Benton |
| Tumbleweed | 1953 | | Marv |
| Jack Slade | 1953 | | Bolt Mackay |
| The Lone Ranger | 1952-1953 | TV Series | Jango / Bull Harper / Joe Singer |
| Vice Squad | 1953 | | Pete Monte |
| Arena | 1953 | | Smitty |
| Space Patrol | 1952-1953 | TV Series | Lesser / Ward / Herrick / ... |
| The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms | 1953 | | Corp. Stone |
| White Lightning | 1953 | | Brutus Allen |
| Bandits of Corsica | 1953 | | Nerva |
| Four Star Playhouse | 1953 | TV Series | Bob Wheeler aka Sonora Kid |
| The Lawless Breed | 1953 | | Dirk Hanley |
| The Range Rider | 1952-1953 | TV Series | El Latigo / Utah Joe / Rocky Hatch |
| Boston Blackie | 1952 | TV Series | Lou / Captain Jansen |
| Kansas City Confidential | 1952 | | Tony Romano |
| Sky King | 1952 | TV Series | Mark |
| Untamed Frontier | 1952 | | Dave Chittun |
| High Noon | 1952 | | Jack Colby |
Jessica Burns 
