Sterling Hayden
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."
Acting
Movie
The Godfather
as Captain McCluskey
1972
Movie
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
as Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper
1964
Movie
The Killing
as Johnny Clay
1956
Movie
The Long Goodbye
as Roger Wade
1973
Movie
1900
as Leo Dalcò
1976
Movie
Nine to Five
as Russell Tinsworthy
1980
Movie
The Asphalt Jungle
as Dix Handley
1950
Movie
Johnny Guitar
as Johnny 'Guitar' Logan
1954
Movie
Suddenly
as Sheriff Tod Shaw
1954
Movie
Venom
as Howard Anderson
1981
TV
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
TV
Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
as Capt. Mark McCluskey
1977
Movie
Crime Wave
as Det. Lt. Sims
1953
Movie
Prince Valiant
as Sir Gawain
1954
Movie
Winter Kills
as Z.K. Dawson
1979
Movie
Crime of Passion
as Lt. William Doyle
1956
Movie
Zero Hour!
as Captain Martin Treleaven
1957
Movie
Kubrick by Kubrick
as Self (archive footage)
2020
Movie
Terror in a Texas Town
as George Hansen
1958
Movie
The Star
as Jim Johannsen aka Barry Lester
1952
Movie
Naked Alibi
as Joe E. Conroy
1954
Movie
Carol for Another Christmas
as Daniel Grudge
1964
Movie
The Final Programme
as Maj. Wrongway Lindbergh
1973
Movie
Cry, Onion!
as Henry 'Jack' Pullitzer
1975
