Lee Van Cleef Biography: Age, Height, Net Worth, Movies, Death, Career, Awards

Clarence LeRoy “Lee” Van Cleef Jr. was an actor whose stern visage and sharp features made him one of the most immediately recognizable villains in Westerns and action films.

He first appeared in small roles in Hollywood in the early 1950s, but his career took a turning point when he was cast in Sergio Leone’s For a Few Dollars More (1965), followed by The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

Profile

• Full name: Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr.
• Date of birth: January 9, 1925
• Age: Deceased
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Somerville, New Jersey, United States
• State of origin: New Jersey
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Actor
• Parents: Father: Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Sr.; Mother: Marion Lavinia Van Fleet Van Cleef
• Siblings: N/A
• Spouse: Patsy Ruth Kahle (m. 1943-1958); Joan Marjorie Drane (m. 1960-1974); Barbara Havelone (m. 1976 until his death)
• Children: Alan Van Cleef; Deborah Van Cleef; David Van Cleef; N/A for any more
• Relationship status: Deceased
• Ethnicity: Dutch ancestry
• Net worth: $2 million (at the time of his death)

Early Life and Education

Lee Van Cleef was born on January 9, 1925, in Somerville, New Jersey. His parents, Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Sr., a pharmacist, and Marion Lavinia (née Van Fleet) Van Cleef, a concert pianist, were both of Dutch ancestry. He attended Somerville High School in New Jersey.

During World War II he enlisted in the United States Navy in 1942, serving aboard minesweepers and sub-chasers. For his service he earned a Bronze Star and other campaign medals.

After the war, he returned home and took up various jobs, including as an accountant before moving toward amateur theatre work. He appeared in productions such as Our Town and Heaven Can Wait in community and regional theatre before being discovered by a talent agent.

Personal Life

Lee Van Cleef married Patsy Ruth Kahle in 1943; they had three children (Alan, Deborah, and David) before their divorce in 1958. He married Joan Marjorie Drane in 1960; that marriage lasted until 1974.

In 1976 he married Barbara Havelone; they remained married until his death in 1989. He lost the last joint of his right-hand middle finger while building a playhouse for his daughter.

There are reports of health issues late in life: he suffered from heart disease, had a pacemaker installed in the early 1980s, and also was afflicted with throat cancer.

Career

After his naval service, Van Cleef’s early career included regional theatre work and small supporting roles. He made his film debut in High Noon (1952) in a non-speaking role. Over the 1950s and early 1960s he appeared many times in television and film, often as villains or henchmen in Westerns and crime dramas.

The major turning point in his career came when Sergio Leone cast him in For a Few Dollars More (1965) as Colonel Douglas Mortimer, elevating him to a prominent figure in spaghetti Westerns. He followed that with the role of Angel Eyes in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). Those roles opened up many leading parts in European Westerns: The Big Gundown (1966), Death Rides a Horse (1967), Day of Anger (1967), Sabata (1969) and others.

In later years he diversified somewhat: appearing in martial-arts influenced series such as The Master (1984); action films like The Octagon (1980); and cult films including Escape from New York (1981). His output remained high through the 1970s and 1980s, though often in genre films and lower budget productions.

Awards and Nominations

Nominations:

• Laurel Award for Male Supporting Performance, For a Few Dollars More (1965)
• Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, The Grand Duel (1972)

Awards:

• Golden Boot Award for his contribution to Western film and television, 1983
• Hall of Great Western Performers (inducted)

Net worth

Lee Van Cleef had an estimated net worth of $2 million at the time of his passing in 1989.

Death

Lee Van Cleef died of a heart attack on December 16, 1989, in Oxnard, California. A secondary cause listed was throat cancer. He was 64 years old. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Hollywood Hills, California.

Social Media

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Filmography

• High Noon (1952)
• Untamed Frontier (1952)
• Kansas City Confidential (1952)
• Vice Squad (1953)
• The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
• The Big Combo (1955)
• Tumbleweed (1953)
• The Nebraskan (1953)
• The Tin Star (1957)
• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
• Bravados (1958)
• The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
• For a Few Dollars More (1965)
• The Big Gundown (1966)
• Death Rides a Horse (1967)
• Day of Anger (1967)
• Sabata (1969)
• Return of Sabata (1971)
• Barquero (1970)
• El Condor (1970)
• The Grand Duel (1972)
• Mean Frank and Crazy Tony (1973)
• The Stranger and the Gunfighter (1974)
• Take a Hard Ride (1975)
• God’s Gun (1976)
• The Octagon (1980)
• Escape from New York (1981)