Lee Van Cleef

Lee Van Cleef was an American actor best known for his roles in spaghetti Westerns, especially Sergio Leone’s *For a Few Dollars More* and *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly*.

Lee Van Cleef was an American actor best known for his roles in spaghetti Westerns, especially Sergio Leone’s *For a Few Dollars More* and *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly*. His career spanned nearly four decades and included more than 170 film and television roles.

Early life

Lee Van Cleef was born Clarence LeRoy Van Cleef Jr. in Somerville, New Jersey, in 1925. Biographical sources describe him as having Dutch ancestry.

Film career

He began acting in the early 1950s and first appeared in a series of supporting and villain roles before becoming a major presence in Westerns. He gained international recognition through Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns.

Best-known roles

Van Cleef is most closely identified with *For a Few Dollars More* and *The Good, the Bad and the Ugly*, both central entries in the Dollars Trilogy. He also appeared in later genre films such as *Escape from New York*.

Awards and legacy

In 1983, he received a Golden Boot Award for his contribution to the Western film and television genre. He is widely remembered as one of the most distinctive screen villains of his era.