Harry Dean Stanton
Biography
Harry Dean Stanton was an American actor with a career spanning over six decades. He played supporting roles in numerous films, including Cool Hand Luke, Kelly's Heroes, and The Godfather Part II. Stanton also appeared in notable films such as Alien, Escape from New York, and The Last Temptation of Christ. He had rare lead roles in Paris, Texas and Lucky. Born on July 14, 1926, in West Irvine, Kentucky, Stanton passed away on September 15, 2017, at the age of 91. Throughout his career, Stanton accumulated 205 acting credits.
Career overview
Harry Dean Stanton was an American actor with a career spanning over six decades. He appeared in numerous films, often playing supporting roles. Stanton's filmography includes notable titles such as Cool Hand Luke, Kelly's Heroes, Dillinger, The Godfather Part II, Alien, Escape from New York, Christine, Repo Man, One Magic Christmas, Pretty in Pink, The Last Temptation of Christ, Wild at Heart, The Straight Story, The Green Mile, The Man Who Cried, Alpha Dog, and Inland Empire.
In addition to his extensive work in supporting roles, Stanton had rare opportunities to take on lead parts in films such as Paris, Texas and Lucky. These lead roles showcased his acting abilities and demonstrated his range as a performer. Throughout his career, Stanton worked with a variety of directors and actors, contributing to a diverse and extensive filmography.
Stanton's acting career was marked by his appearances in a wide range of films across multiple decades. He continued to work in the film industry until his passing in 2017.
Ask the Vault
Ask anything about Harry Dean Stanton.
Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- Sinatra! Eternity (2025) as Sherif Lloyd
- American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective (2022) as Self
- Frank and Ava (2020) as Sheriff Lloyd
- Wim Wenders, Desperado (2020) as Self (archive footage)
- Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- Lucky (2017) as Lucky
- Sick of it All (2017) as Harry The News Reporter
- Fishtail (2014) as Narrator
- Walking the Mile (2014) as Self (archive footage)
- Carlos Spills the Beans (2014) as Rhino
- The Last Stand (2013) as Mr. Parson
- Getting On (2013) as Leonard Butler
- 9 Full Moons (2013) as Dimitri
- Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2013) as Self
- The Avengers (2012) as Security Guard
- Seven Psychopaths (2012) as Man in Hat
- Char·ac·ter (2012) as Self
- Rango (2011) as Balthazar (voice)
- This Must Be the Place (2011) as Robert Plath
- Mongo Wrestling Alliance (2011)
- Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing Mulholland (2011)
- Athena (2010) as Bill
- On Holiday (2010) as Josh the Roommate's Dad
- Alice (2009) as Caterpillar
- The Open Road (2009) as Amon
- Chuck (2007) as Harry
- Being Michael Madsen (2007) as Self
- Lynch 2 (2007) as Self
- Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project (2007) as Self
- The Good Life (2007) as Gus
- Big Love (2006) as Roman Grant
- Alpha Dog (2006) as Cosmo Gadabeeti
- You, Me and Dupree (2006) as Curly (uncredited)
- Inland Empire (2006) as Freddie Howard
- Alien Autopsy (2006) as Harvey
- Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride (2006) as Self
- Harry Zen Stanton (2006) as Himself
- The Wendell Baker Story (2005) as Skip Summers
- Dig! (2004) as Self
- The Big Bounce (2004) as Bob Rogers, Sr.
- Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004) as Self
- Chrystal (2004) as Pa Da
- Two and a Half Men (2003) as Harry Dean Stanton
- Anger Management (2003) as Blind Man (uncredited)
- The Beast Within: Making Alien (2003) as Self
- Hunter Goes to Hollywood (2003) as Himself
- Return to 'Escape from New York' (2003) as Himself
- Bukowski: Born Into This (2003) as Self
- Ginostra (2003) as Del Piero
- Sonny (2002) as Henry
- The Short Films of David Lynch (2002) as Self
- The Animal (2001) as Hunter (uncredited)
- The Pledge (2001) as Floyd Cage
- The Man Who Cried (2000) as Felix Perlman
- Sand (2000) as Leo
- The Green Mile (1999) as Toot-Toot
- The Straight Story (1999) as Lyle
- Stephen King: Shining in the Dark (1999) as Self
- Ballad of the Nightingale (1999) as Jean-Paul
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) as Judge
- A Civil Action (1998) as Land Watcher (uncredited)
- The Mighty (1998) as Grim
- Fire Down Below (1997) as Cotton Harry
- She's So Lovely (1997) as Tony 'Shorty' Russo
- Midnight Blue (1997) as Eric
- Down Periscope (1996) as Lt. Howard
- E! True Hollywood Story (1996)
- Playback (1996) as Ernie Fontenot
- Dead Man's Walk (1996) as Shadrach
- One Hundred and One Nights (1995) as Mute Actor in Hollywood (uncredited)
- Never Talk to Strangers (1995) as Max Cheski
- Against the Wall (1994) as Hal
- Blue Tiger (1994) as Smith
- Hotel Room (1993) as Moe Boca
- Warren Oates: Across the Border (1993) as Self
- Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me (1992) as Carl Rodd
- Cruise Control (1992)
- Hostages (1992) as Frank Reed
- Man Trouble (1992) as Redmond Layls
- Payoff (1991) as Hook
- Twin Peaks (1990) as Carl Rodd
- Wild at Heart (1990) as Johnnie Farragut
- The Fourth War (1990) as Gen. Hackworth
- Motion and Emotion: The Road to 'Paris, Texas' (1990) as Self
- Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders (1990) as Self
- The Jim Henson Hour (1989) as Chancey Bellow
- Twister (1989) as Cleveland
- Dream a Little Dream (1989) as Ike Baker
- Monster Maker (1989) as Chancey Bellow
- Mr. North (1988) as Henry Simmons
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) as Paulus
- The French as Seen by… (1988) as (Segment "The Cowboy and the Frenchman")
- Stars & Bars (1988) as Loomis Gage
- The Cowboy and the Frenchman (1988) as Slim
- Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night (1988) as Self - Audience Member
- Slam Dance (1987) as Det. Benjamin Smiley
- Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle (1987) as Rip Van Winkle
- Pretty in Pink (1986) as Jack Walsh
- Fool for Love (1985) as Old Man
- The Care Bears Movie (1985) as Brave Heart Lion (singing voice)
- One Magic Christmas (1985) as Gideon
- Paris, Texas (1984) as Travis
- Red Dawn (1984) as Mr. Eckert
- Repo Man (1984) as Bud
- UFOria (1984) as Brother Bud Sanders
- The Bear (1984) as Coach Thomas
- Christine (1983) as Rudolph Junkins
- I Want to Live (1983) as Emmett Perkins
- Faerie Tale Theatre (1982) as Rip Van Winkle
- Young Doctors in Love (1982) as Dr. Oliver Ludwig
- One from the Heart (1982) as Moe
- Escape from New York (1981) as Harold 'Brain' Helman
- The Black Marble (1980) as Philo Skinner
- Private Benjamin (1980) as Sgt. Jim Ballard
- Death Watch (1980) as Vincent Ferriman
- The Oldest Living Graduate (1980) as Mike
- Alien (1979) as Brett
- Flatbed Annie & Sweetie Pie: Lady Truckers (1979) as C.W. Douglas
- The Rose (1979) as Billy Ray
- Wise Blood (1979) as Asa Hawks
- Young Maverick - Dead Man's Hand (1979) as Pokey Tindle
- Straight Time (1978) as Jerry Schue
- Renaldo and Clara (1978) as Lafkezio
- Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (1976) as Jake Walters
- Laverne & Shirley (1976)
- The Missouri Breaks (1976) as Calvin
- Saturday Night Live (1975) as Self - Host
- Farewell, My Lovely (1975) as Billy Rolfe
- The Fortune (1975) as Prisoner in Holding Cell (uncredited)
- Win, Place or Steal (1975) as Jack
- Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins (1975) as Billy Winston
- Rancho Deluxe (1975) as Curt
- The Ransom of Red Chief (1975) as Sam
- 92 in the Shade (1975) as Carter
- The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond (1975) as President Warren G. Harding
- The Godfather Part II (1974) as F.B.I. Man #1
- Zandy's Bride (1974) as Songer
- Where the Lilies Bloom (1974) as Kiser Pease
- Cockfighter (1974) as Jack Burke
- Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) as Luke
- Dillinger (1973) as Homer Van Meter
- Cry for Me, Billy (1972) as Luke Todd
- Cisco Pike (1972) as Jesse Dupre
- Two-Lane Blacktop (1971) as Oklahoma Hitchhiker
- Kelly's Heroes (1970) as Pvt. Willard
- The Intruders (1970) as Whit Dykstra (as Dean Stanton)
- Rebel Rousers (1970) as Randolph Halverson
- Lanton Mills (1969) as Lanton
- Adam-12 (1968) as Harry Fletcher
- The Name of the Game (1968) as Joe Joe
- Day of the Evil Gun (1968) as Sergeant Parker
- The Mini-Skirt Mob (1968) as Spook
- Mannix (1967)
- The High Chaparral (1967) as Johnny Faro
- Cool Hand Luke (1967) as Tramp
- The Guns of Will Sonnett (1967)
- Cimarron Strip (1967) as Luther Happ
- A Time for Killing (1967) as Sgt. Dan Way
- The Hostage (1967) as Eddie (as Dean Stanton)
- Ride in the Whirlwind (1966) as Blind Dick
- The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones (1966) as Jelly
- The Big Valley (1965) as Swain
- Daniel Boone (1964) as Jeb Girty
- Daniel Boone (1964) as Crane
- The Fugitive (1963) as Randy
- Petticoat Junction (1963)
- The Man from the Diners' Club (1963) as Beatnik (uncredited)
- Combat! (1962) as Pvt. Beecham
- Stoney Burke (1962)
- How the West Was Won (1962) as Gant Henchman
- Hero's Island (1962) as Dixey Gates
- Cain's Hundred (1961) as Hood
- Gunslinger (1961) as Stacey
- The Andy Griffith Show (1960) as Proprietor
- Checkmate (1960) as The Singer
- The Roaring 20's (1960)
- Escape to Sonoita (1960) as Lemon
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1960) as Slave Catcher
- Bonanza (1959) as Billy
- Bonanza (1959) as Stiles
- Rawhide (1959) as Jess Hobson
- Rawhide (1959) as Dexter
- Rawhide (1959) as Joe Spanish
- Laramie (1959)
- Lock-Up (1959)
- Johnny Ringo (1959) as Frank Brogger
- The Lawless Years (1959)
- Pork Chop Hill (1959) as BAR Soldier (uncredited)
- A Dog's Best Friend (1959) as Roy Janney
- The Jayhawkers! (1959) as Deputy Smallwood
- The Rifleman (1958)
- Bat Masterson (1958) as Jay Simms
- The Texan (1958)
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958)
- Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse (1958) as Gordon
- The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen (1958) as George Gilbert
- Man with a Camera (1958)
- The Proud Rebel (1958) as Jeb Burleigh
- Have Gun, Will Travel (1957)
- Suspicion (1957) as Bill
- The Walter Winchell File (1957)
- Tomahawk Trail (1957) as Pvt. Miller
- Revolt at Fort Laramie (1957) as Rinty
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Robert MacPherson
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Toby - Ranch Hand
- Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (1956) as Fletcher
- The Wrong Man (1956) as Department of Corrections Employee (uncredited)
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Alvy
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Harley
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Leroy
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Nate
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Young Man
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Leader
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Rainey
- Gunsmoke (1955) as Hodge
- Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955) as Lemon
- Playwrights '56 (1955)
- Inner Sanctum (1954)
- The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (1954)