Lee Van Cleef - Definition and Overview

Lee Van Cleef

Lee Van Cleef (January 9 1925 - December 16 1989) was a movie actor, who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes made him an ideal "bad guy". However, Van Cleef occasionally played heroes.

Van Cleef served in the United States Navy during World War II and became an actor after a brief career as an accountant. His first film was the classic Western High Noon, in which he played a villain.

He appeared with Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Van Cleef also appeared in John Carpenter's cult hit Escape from New York. He also appeared as a villainous swindler in the Bonanza episode, The Bloodline (December 31, 1960).