History Creator / LeeVanCleef

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Old Snake]], [[Literature/HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[Film/ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], [[ComicBook/LuckyLuke Elliot Belt]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid4GunsOfThePatriots Old Snake]], [[Literature/HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], [[ComicBook/LuckyLuke Elliot Belt]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

One of the first faces that come to mind when you think of the phrase "[[TheWestern western]] villain". Clarence Leroy Van Cleef (1925-1989) started out as one of the villain's henchmen in ''HighNoon'' (a bit part he apparently got because the director thought he had an evil-looking face) and went on playing {{mook}}s in various westerns and films noirs during the 1950s. Then his career gradually fizzled out, partly because he'd injured his leg badly in a car accident but likely also because he had a drinking problem. In the mid-60s, Creator/SergioLeone resurrected Van Cleef's career by giving him major supporting roles in ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'' and ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', which brought him to stardom in Europe. He continued to star in [[SpaghettiWestern spaghetti westerns]] for much of his subsequent career.

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[Literature/HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], [[ComicBook/LuckyLuke Elliot Belt]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], [[ComicBook/LuckyLuke Elliot Belt]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

Van Cleef reportedly claimed to be [[QuickDraw faster on the draw]] than Creator/ClintEastwood in real life. A sequence at the climax of Film/ForAFewDollarsMore shows him drawing, cocking and firing a gun in three frames of footage, which translates to roughly one-eighth of a second. He's also one of relatively few actors to appear in more than one movie on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' (he was in both ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld'' and ''Series/MasterNinja''). He was [[RedRightHand missing most of his middle finger on his right hand]], as a result of an attempt to make a playhouse for one of his daughters.

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], [[ComicBooks/LuckyLuke Elliot Belt]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], [[LuckyLucke Elliot Belt]] and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan]] [[ShoutOut Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin Vancleef]], and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

Of course, while he's known for playing villains, he's also played heroic (or at least sympathetic) characters on more than a few occasions, including ''For a Few Dollars More'' and most of the other spaghetti westerns he appeared in.

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan Van Cleef]], [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin VanCleef]], and [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain Skull Face]].

* WouldntHitAGirl: While his character in ''The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly'' ruthlessly beats a hooker for information, Van Cleef refused to even stage slap her and had a stuntman perform the scene.

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]], [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan Van Cleef]] and [[VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft Edwin VanCleef]].

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[WesternAnimation/{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]] and [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan Van Cleef]].

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Series/Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]] and [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan Van Cleef]].

One of the first faces that come to mind when you think of the phrase "[[TheWestern western]] villain". Clarence Leroy Van Cleef started out as one of the villain's henchmen in ''HighNoon'' (a bit part he apparently got because the director thought he had an evil-looking face) and went on playing {{mook}}s in various westerns and films noirs during the 1950s. Then his career gradually fizzled out, partly because he'd injured his leg badly in a car accident but likely also because he had a drinking problem. In the mid-60s, Creator/SergioLeone resurrected Van Cleef's career by giving him major supporting roles in ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'' and ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', which brought him to stardom in Europe. He continued to star in [[SpaghettiWestern spaghetti westerns]] for much of his subsequent career.

* VillainousCheekbones: His hawkish features meant he was cast as a lot of villains. Averted with Colonel Mortimer in ''ForaFewDollarsMore''.

* VillainousCheekbones

One of the first faces that come to mind when you think of the phrase "[[TheWestern western]] villain". He started out as one of the villain's henchmen in ''HighNoon'' (a bit part he apparently got because the director thought he had an evil-looking face) and went on playing {{mook}}s in various westerns and films noirs during the 1950s. Then his career gradually fizzled out, partly because he'd injured his leg badly in a car accident but likely also because he had a drinking problem. In the mid-60s, Creator/SergioLeone resurrected Van Cleef's career by giving him major supporting roles in ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'' and ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', which brought him to stardom in Europe. He continued to star in [[SpaghettiWestern spaghetti westerns]] for much of his subsequent career.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor: Devoted to his family, and had an enduring friendship with his Italian stuntman Romano Puppo, who was one of his pallbearers.

* MeanCharacterNiceActor : Devoted to his family, and had an enduring friendship with his Italian stuntman Romano Puppo, who was one of his pallbearers.

Van Cleef reportedly claimed to be [[QuickDraw faster on the draw]] than Creator/ClintEastwood in real life. A sequence at the climax of Film/ForAFewDollarsMore shows him drawing, cocking and firing a gun in three frames of footage, which translates to roughly one-eighth of a second. He's also one of relatively few actors to appear in more than one movie on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' (he was in both ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld'' and ''MasterNinja''). He was [[RedRightHand missing most of his middle finger on his right hand]], as a result of an attempt to make a playhouse for one of his daughters.

* ''MasterNinja''

[[FountainOfExpies Characters based on Van Cleef's appearance and/or the type of character]] he tended to play include [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Revolver Ocelot]], [[MetalGearSolid4 Old Snake]], [[HisDarkMaterials Lee Scoresby]], [[StarWarsTheCloneWars Cad Bane]], [[{{Rango}} Rattlesnake Jake]], [[{{Firefly}} Jayne Cobb]] and [[ShanghaiNoon Marshall Nathan Van Cleef]].

* [[DeathGlare Piercing Stare]]

->''"I came into this town in a stage play called ''Literature/MisterRoberts''. Stanley Kramer saw it and put me in a picture called ''HighNoon''. The first time I went into his office he told me to go fix my nose and I told him to go fuck himself.''

->''A lot of actors think that the more words they have, the more attention they get. That's bullshit. I make people ''look'' at me. I don't have to say a lot of words."''

* ''TheSabataTrilogy'' (In the first and third films of the trilogy)

Van Cleef reportedly claimed to be [[QuickDraw faster on the draw]] than ClintEastwood in real life. A sequence at the climax of Film/ForAFewDollarsMore shows him drawing, cocking and firing a gun in three frames of footage, which translates to roughly one-eighth of a second. He's also one of relatively few actors to appear in more than one movie on ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' (he was in both ''Film/ItConqueredTheWorld'' and ''MasterNinja''). He was [[RedRightHand missing most of his middle finger on his right hand]], as a result of an attempt to make a playhouse for one of his daughters.

One of the first faces that come to mind when you think of the phrase "[[TheWestern western]] villain". He started out as one of the villain's henchmen in ''HighNoon'' (a bit part he apparently got because the director thought he had an evil-looking face) and went on playing {{mook}}s in various westerns and films noirs during the 1950s. Then his career gradually fizzled out, partly because he'd injured his leg badly in a car accident but likely also because he had a drinking problem. In the mid-60s, SergioLeone resurrected Van Cleef's career by giving him major supporting roles in ''Film/ForAFewDollarsMore'' and ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'', which brought him to stardom in Europe. He continued to star in [[SpaghettiWestern spaghetti westerns]] for much of his subsequent career.