Short Biography

Lee Van Cleef (January 9, 1925 – December 16, 1989) was an American film actor who appeared mostly in Western and action pictures. His sharp features and piercing eyes led to his casting as a villain in scores of films, though in later years he was often a film`s protagonist, such as with his co-lead role as a bounty hunter in For a Few Dollars More. Van Cleef lost the tip of his middle finger on his right hand while building a playhouse for his daughter. This can be seen in the close-up shots of his hand during a scene in which he signals to the Eastwood character in For a Few Dollars More, in the gunfights in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and in an early scene of The Grand Duel.

He died from a heart attack in Oxnard, California and was interred in Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles. His gravestone reads "Lee Van Cleef Jan 9, 1925 - Dec 16, 1989 `Best of the Bad` Love and Light".

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