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Sterling Hayden

Acting 70 (deceased) years old Upper Montclair, New Jersey, USA ★ 1.3
Born: March 26, 1916
Died: May 23, 1986

Biography

Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor and author. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and hired on as mate on a schooner. He was a ship's captain at 22, and in need of cash to buy his own boat, established himself as a model in New York, discovered by Paramount Studios talent scouts and offered a contract.

Sterling Hayden, the handsome tall blond actor who played wholesome leading-man movie roles in the 1940's and 1950's and later weathered into a rough-hewn solid character actor in films such as "Dr. Strangelove", "The Godfather," "Nine to Five" and "King of the Gypsies". He appeared in 71 feature films and tv-productions from the debut in "Virginia" 1941 to the tv mini-series "The Blue and the Gray" in 1982.

He wrote of his obsessive fascination with the sea in a 1963 autobiography, "Wanderer," and in 1970 his 700-page epic novel of the sea, "Voyage," was a main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

Sterling Hayden appeared in the German documentary, "Pharos of Chaos," (1983) filmed aboard his barge in Europe, and seemed to be in an alcoholic stupor much of the time, supplementing his wine intake with hashish. On camera he said: "What confuses me is I ain't all that unhappy. So why do I drink, I don't know."

Filmography

Acting Credits (85)

Rat Pack
Rat Pack Self (archive footage) 2022
Kubrick by Kubrick
Kubrick by Kubrick Self (archive footage) 2020
The Albatross
The Albatross Glass Man (voice) (archive footage) 2016
Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western?
Johnny Guitar: A Feminist Western? Self (archive footage) 2016
Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar'
Tell Us She Was One of You: The Hollywood Blacklist and 'Johnny Guitar' Self (archive footage) 2016
Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other
Johnny Guitar: A Western Like No Other Self (archive footage) 2016
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959
The Godfather: The Complete Epic 1901–1959 Capt. Mark McCluskey 2016
Irving Johnson High Seas Adventurer
Irving Johnson High Seas Adventurer Himself 1985
Pharos of Chaos
Pharos of Chaos Self - Actor 1983
The Blue and the Gray
The Blue and the Gray John Brown 1982
At Anchor / Land Under: A Film With Sterling Hayden
At Anchor / Land Under: A Film With Sterling Hayden Himself 1982
Venom
Venom Howard Anderson 1981
Gas
Gas Duke Stuyvesant 1981
Nine to Five
Nine to Five Russell Tinsworthy 1980
The Starlost: The Beginning
The Starlost: The Beginning Jeremiah 1980
The Outsider
The Outsider Seamus Flaherty 1979
Winter Kills
Winter Kills Z.K. Dawson 1979
King of the Gypsies
King of the Gypsies King Zharko Stepanowicz 1978
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television Capt. Mark McCluskey 1977
1900
1900 Leo Dalcò 1976
The Cinema According to Bertolucci
The Cinema According to Bertolucci Self 1976
Cry, Onion!
Cry, Onion! Henry 'Jack' Pullitzer 1975
Deadly Strangers
Deadly Strangers Malcolm Robarts 1975
The Final Programme
The Final Programme Maj. Wrongway Lindbergh 1973
The Starlost
The Starlost Old Jeremiah 1973
The Long Goodbye
The Long Goodbye Roger Wade 1973
The Big Departure
The Big Departure M. Nature / The Leader 1972
Banacek
Banacek Tony Fowler 1972
The Godfather
The Godfather Captain McCluskey 1972
Angel's Leap
Angel's Leap Mason / Custer 1971
Sweet Hunters
Sweet Hunters Allan 1970
Loving
Loving Lepridon 1970
Hard Contract
Hard Contract Michael Carlson 1969
Carol for Another Christmas
Carol for Another Christmas Daniel Grudge 1964
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper 1964
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson Self 1962
Old Man
Old Man Tall Convict 1958
Ten Days To Tulara
Ten Days To Tulara Scotty 1958
Days of Wine and Roses
Days of Wine and Roses Self (introduction) 1958
Terror in a Texas Town
Terror in a Texas Town George Hansen 1958
Zero Hour!
Zero Hour! Captain Martin Treleaven 1957
Gun Battle at Monterey
Gun Battle at Monterey Jay Turner / John York 1957
A Sound of Different Drummers
A Sound of Different Drummers Gordon Miller 1957
Valerie
Valerie John Garth 1957
The Iron Sheriff
The Iron Sheriff Sheriff Samuel Galt 1957
Crime of Passion
Crime of Passion Lt. William Doyle 1956
5 Steps to Danger
5 Steps to Danger John Emmett 1956
Requiem for a Heavyweight
Requiem for a Heavyweight Self (intro/outro) 1956
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre
Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Link Stevens 1956
Playhouse 90
Playhouse 90 1956
The Killing
The Killing Johnny Clay 1956
The Come On
The Come On Dave Arnold 1956
Top Gun
Top Gun Rick Martin 1955
The Last Command
The Last Command Jim Bowie 1955
Shotgun
Shotgun Clay Hardin 1955
The Eternal Sea
The Eternal Sea Rear-Adm. John Madison Hoskins 1955
Timberjack
Timberjack Tim Chipman 1955
Battle Taxi
Battle Taxi Capt. Russ Edwards 1955
Naked Alibi
Naked Alibi Joe E. Conroy 1954
Suddenly
Suddenly Sheriff Tod Shaw 1954
Johnny Guitar
Johnny Guitar Johnny 'Guitar' Logan 1954
Arrow In The Dust
Arrow In The Dust Bart Laish 1954
Prince Valiant
Prince Valiant Sir Gawain 1954
Fighter Attack
Fighter Attack Steve 1953
So Big
So Big Pervis De Jong 1953
Crime Wave
Crime Wave Det. Lt. Sims 1953
Take Me to Town
Take Me to Town Will Hall 1953
Kansas Pacific
Kansas Pacific Capt. John Nelson 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Joe Turner 1953
The Star
The Star Jim Johannsen aka Barry Lester 1952
Flat Top
Flat Top Commander Dan Collier 1952
The Golden Hawk
The Golden Hawk Kit 'The Hawk' Gerardo 1952
Hellgate
Hellgate Lt. Tod Voorhees 1952
Denver and Rio Grande
Denver and Rio Grande McCabe 1952
Flaming Feather
Flaming Feather Tex McCloud 1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Maj. Jim Curtis 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars 1951
Journey Into Light
Journey Into Light Rev, John Burrows 1951
The Asphalt Jungle
The Asphalt Jungle Dix Handley 1950
Manhandled
Manhandled Joe Cooper 1949
El Paso
El Paso Bert Donner 1949
Variety Girl
Variety Girl Sterling Hayden 1947
Blaze of Noon
Blaze of Noon Tad McDonald 1947
Bahama Passage
Bahama Passage Adrian Ainsworth 1941
Virginia
Virginia Norman Williams 1941

Writing Credits (1)

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