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 One of the great movie villains, Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. was born in Somerville, New Jersey, to Marion Lavinia (Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. His parents were of Dutch ancestry. Van Cleef started out as an accountant. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and sub chasers during World War II. After the war he worked as an office administrator, becoming involved in amateur theatrics in his spare time. An audition for a professional role led to a touring company job in "Mr. Roberts". His performance was seen by Stanley Kramer, who cast him as henchman Jack Colby in High Noon (1952), a role that brought him great recognition despite the fact that he had no dialogue. For the next decade, he played a string of memorably villainous characters, primarily in westerns but also in crime dramas such as The Big Combo (1955). His hawk nose and steely, slit eyes seemed destined to keep him always in the realm of heavies, but in the mid 1960s Sergio Leone cast him as the tough but decent Col. Mortimer opposite Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More (1965). A new career as a western hero (or at least anti-hero) opened up, and Van Cleef became an international star, though in films of decreasing quality. In the 1980s, he moved easily into action and martial-arts movies and starred in The Master (1984), a TV series featuring almost non-stop martial arts action. He died of a heart attack in December 1989 and was buried at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills.
Bio:
One of the great movie villains, Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. was born in Somerville, New Jersey, to Marion Lavinia (Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. His parents were of Dutch ancestry. Van Cleef started out as an accountant. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard minesweepers and sub chasers during World War II. After the war he worked as an office administrator, becoming involved in amateur theatrics in his spare time. An audition for a professional role led to a touring company job in "Mr. Roberts". His performance was seen by Stanley Kramer, who cast him as henchman Jack Colby in High Noon (1952), a role that brought him great recognition despite the fact that he had no dialogue. For the next decade, he played a string of memorably villainous characters, primarily in westerns but also in crime dramas such as The Big Combo (1955). His hawk nose and steely, slit eyes seemed destined to keep him always in the realm of heavies, but in the mid 1960s Sergio Leone cast him as the tough but decent Col. Mortimer opposite Clint Eastwood in For a Few Dollars More (1965). A new career as a western hero (or at least anti-hero) opened up, and Van Cleef became an international star, though in films of decreasing quality. In the 1980s, he moved easily into action and martial-arts movies and starred in The Master (1984), a TV series featuring almost non-stop martial arts action. He died of a heart attack in December 1989 and was buried at Forest Lawn in the Hollywood Hills.
Tivia:
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.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.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.Served in the US Navy from 1942-46.For his film debut, he appeared, solo, in the opening pre-title shots of the classic "High Noon" (1952)." It would be the first of many bad guys he would portray in westerns.His death certificate gave throat cancer as a secondary cause of death.Was the inspiration for the character Revolver Ocelot in the "Metal Gear" series of games.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).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.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.Appeared in two films nominated for Best Picture Oscar: High Noon (1952) and How the West Was Won (1962). Harry Morgan also appeared in both films.One episode of his short-lived TV series, The Master (1984), was titled "The Good, The Bad and the Priceless".Like fellow western baddie, Jack Elam, he had worked as an accountant.Was on the short list of actors under consideration for arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987).He was hetero-chromatic with one eye being blue and the other green.Was portrayed as a bounty hunter in the Lucky Luke comic book "The Bounty Hunter".His final western Vengeance (1976) was actually filmed before his previous western God's Gun (1976), but released afterwards. Although Van Cleef was billed first, in both films he was playing a secondary role to teen idol and singer Leif Garrett.During one summer in the early 1950s he was a camp counselor in NYC for Marc Furstenberg.Interviewed in "Bad at the Bijou" by William R. Horner (McFarland, 1982).He slipped out of the limelight during the 1980s, appearing in films that did not have a wide release. |
| Name: |
Lee Van Cleef |
Type: |
Actor,Soundtrack (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
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Business scope: |
Actor,Soundtrack |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Soundtrack |
| Model rank: |
238 |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 04:18:25 |
| Height: |
6' 1?' (1.87 m) |
| Biography: |
One of the great movie villains, Clarence Leroy Van Cleef, Jr. was born in Somerville, New Jersey, to Marion Lavinia (Van Fleet) and Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef, Sr. His parents were of Dutch ancestry. Van Cleef started out as an accountant. He served i |
| Trivia: |
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.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.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.Served in the US Navy from 1942-46.For his film debut, he appeared, solo, in the opening pre-title shots of the classic "High Noon" (1952)." It would be the first of many bad guys he would portray in westerns.His death certificate gave throat cancer as a secondary cause of death.Was the inspiration for the character Revolver Ocelot in the "Metal Gear" series of games.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).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.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.Appeared in two films nominated for Best Picture Oscar: High Noon (1952) and How the West Was Won (1962). Harry Morgan also appeared in both films.One episode of his short-lived TV series, The Master (1984), was titled "The Good, The Bad and the Priceless".Like fellow western baddie, Jack Elam, he had worked as an accountant.Was on the short list of actors under consideration for arms dealer Brad Whitaker in The Living Daylights (1987).He was hetero-chromatic with one eye being blue and the other green.Was portrayed as a bounty hunter in the Lucky Luke comic book "The Bounty Hunter".His final western Vengeance (1976) was actually filmed before his previous western God's Gun (1976), but released afterwards. Although Van Cleef was billed first, in both films he was playing a secondary role to teen idol and singer Leif Garrett.During one summer in the early 1950s he was a camp counselor in NYC for Marc Furstenberg.Interviewed in "Bad at the Bijou" by William R. Horner (McFarland, 1982).He slipped out of the limelight during the 1980s, appearing in films that did not have a wide release. |
| Trademarks: |
Spaghetti westerns
Sharp facial features
Beady eyes that frequently squinted in the Western sun
Sardonic, menacing characters
Low, authoritative voice |
| Quotes: |
Being born with a pair of beady eyes was the best thing that ever happened to me.
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<hr>
Bad guys have always been my bag . . . I look mean without even trying. Audiences just naturally hate me on screen. I could play a role in a tuxedo and people would think I was rotten. You can do much more with a villain part. Movies are full of leading men, most of whom aren't working. It's much harder to find a good villain.
<br />
<hr>
[6/12/81 interview in The Cleveland Plain Dealer, on his pierced left ear] I started wearing it when I was a kid in the Navy. I sailed all over the world, and somewhere along I started wearing an earring as a symbol of respect for all of the different cultures and people. I've worn it, off and on, ever since. Lately, when directors and producers see the bloody thing, they ask me to wear it on camera.
<br />
<hr>
I believe in showing real violence, not toy violence. Real violence turns you off because you know it's not the thing to do. If you show violence realistic enough people don't want to do it.
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<hr>
My story suddenly turned into a rags-to-riches saga. And just in time, too. |
| Salaries: |
For a Few Dollars More (1967) - $17,000
<br />
<hr>
High Noon (1952) - $500 /week |
| Job title: |
Actor,Soundtrack |
| Others works: |
(Late 1970s) TV commercials (Canada): Appeared in a series of innovative commercials for the Canadian Midas Muffler chain. He played the part of the laconic cowboy (as in 1960s "spaghetti westerns") who could fix a muffler or tailpipe with such |
| Spouse: |
Barbara Havelone (July 13, 1976 - December 16, 1989) (his death)Joan Marjorie Drane (April 9, 1960 - 1974) (divorced)Patsy Ruth Kahle (December 10, 1943 - 1960) (divorced, 3 children) |
| Children: |
Alan Van CleefDeborah Van CleefDavid Van CleefDenise Van Cleef |
| Parents: |
Marion Levinia Van Fleet
Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Sr |
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