"No movie featuring either Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in a supporting role can be altogether bad.”
One of Hollywood's most popular and recognizable character actors, Harry Dean Stanton† (July 14, 1926 – September 15, 2017) made a career out of playing supporting roles. His first appearance was in an episode of Inner Sanctum in 1954, and following that he appeared in a vast number of television shows and movies across six decades.
He is also the first (and currently only) movie actor to have an entire film festival devoted to him. The Harry Dean Stanton Fest is an annual event in Lexington, Kentucky (near where he was born and grew up) that showcases his films.
Partial filmography:
open/close all folders
Film roles
- The Wrong Man (1957): Dept. of Corrections Employee (uncredited)
- Pork Chop Hill (1959): U.S. Soldier (uncredited)
- How the West Was Won (1963): Gant Henchman (uncredited)
- Cool Hand Luke (1967): Tramp
- Day of the Evil Gun (1968): Sgt. Parker
- Kelly's Heroes (1970): Pvt. Willard
- Two-Lane Blacktop (1971): Oklahoma Hitchhiker
- Dillinger (1973): Homer Van Meter ("Things ain't working out for me today!")
- Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973): Luke
- The Godfather Part II (1974): One of the FBI Agents guarding Frank Pentangeli.
- Zandy's Bride (1974): Songer
- The Fortune (1975): Prisoner in Holding Cell (uncredited)
- Farewell, My Lovely (1975): Det. Rolfe
- Straight Time (1978): Jerry Schue
- Wise Blood (1979): Asa Hawks
- Alien (1979): Brett
- The Rose (1979): Billy Ray
- Death Watch (1980): Vincent Ferriman
- Private Benjamin (1980): Sergeant First Class Jim Ballard
- One from the Heart (1981): Moe
- Escape from New York (1981): Brain
- Christine (1983): Detective Rudolph Junkins
- Repo Man (1984): Bud, the repo man who recruits Emilio Estevez; he later reprised this role in Chuck.
- Paris, Texas (1984): Travis Henderson (a rare leading man role for him)
- Red Dawn (1984): Patrick Swayze's and Charlie Sheen's dad. (AVENGE ME!)
- One Magic Christmas (1985): The Christmas Angel, Gideon.
- Fool for Love (1985): The Old Man
- Pretty in Pink (1986): Jack Walsh
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988): Saul/Paul of Tarsus
- Wild at Heart (1990): Johnnie Farragut
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992): Carl Rodd
- Against the Wall (1994): Hal Smith
- Down Periscope (1996): Chief Engineer CPO Howard
- Fire Down Below (1997): Cotton Harry
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998): The Judge (cameo)
- The Green Mile (1999): Toot-Toot
- The Straight Story (1999): Lyle Straight
- Sonny (2002): Henry
- Inland Empire (2006): Freddie Howard
- Alpha Dog (2006): Cosmo Gadabeeti
- Rango (2011): Balthazar (voice)
- The Avengers (2012): The security guard who gives Bruce Banner fresh clothes ("Are you a big guy who gets little, or a little guy who somehow gets all big?")
- Seven Psychopaths (2012): The Quaker Psychopath (a role he sort of shares with Christopher Walken).
- The Last Stand (2013): Mr. Parsons
Television roles
- Gunsmoke (8 episodes, 1958–68): Various
- Walt Disney Presents (1 episode, 1959): Drew Griswold
- Bat Masterson (1 episode, 1959): Jay Simms
- The Rifleman (1 episode, 1959): Clemmie Martin
- Have Gun – Will Travel (2 episodes, 1959–62): Stoneman/Slim Wilder
- Rawhide (4 episodes, 1959–65): Various
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1 episode, 1960): Lemon
- The Untouchables (3 episodes, 1960–61): Picolo/Newspaper Seller/Moxie
- Bonanza (2 episodes 1961–63): Stiles/Billy
- Combat! (1 episode, 1962): Pvt. Beecham
- The Fugitive (2 episodes, 1964–65): Valet/Randy
- Daniel Boone (2 episodes, 1964–69): Jeb Girty/Crane
- The Big Valley (1 episode, 1966): Swain
- The Wild Wild West (1 episode, 1967): Lucius Brand
- Cimarron Strip (1 episode, 1967): Luther Happ
- The Andy Griffith Show (1 episode, 1967): Proprietor
- The Virginian (1 episode, 1968): Clint Daggert
- Mannix (1 episode, 1968): Dean Hill
- Adam-12 (1 episode, 1969): Fletcher
- Petticoat Junction (1 episode, 1969): Ringo
- Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (5 episodes, 1976–77): Jake Walters
- Laverne & Shirley (1 episode, 1982): Johnny Velvet
- Faerie Tale Theatre (1 episode, 1987): Rip Van Winkle
- The Jim Henson Hour (1 episode, 1989): Chancey Bellow
- Two and a Half Men (1 episode, 2004): Himself
- Big Love (39 episodes, 2006–10): Roman Grant
- Alice (2 episodes, 2009): Caterpillar
- Chuck (1 episode, 2010): Harry
- Mongo Wrestling Alliance (10 episodes, 2011): Baron Kleberkuh (voice)
- Twin Peaks: The Return (5 episodes, 2017): Carl Rodd
