Sterling Hayden

Sterling Hayden Headshot

Actor • Writer • Sailor • Military Officer

Birth Date: March 26, 1916

Death Date: May 23, 1986

Birth Place: Upper Montclair, New Jersey

Spouses: Madeleine Carroll

A handsome, virile star of the late 1940s and 50s, Sterling Hayden spent several years at sea before signing with Paramount in 1940, appearing in two films with future wife Madeleine Carroll. Variously touted by the studio publicity machine as "The Most Beautiful Man in Movies" or "The Beautiful Blond Viking God," the actor broke his contract in 1941 to join the Marines. During WWII, he assisted the Yugoslavian partisans fight against the Germans and briefly joined the Communist Party in 1946 (resigning after six months) before resuming his acting career the following year. Shortly after his superb performance in "The Asphalt Jungle" (1950), Hayden was gray-listed and was unable to work in Hollywood for six months. He then privately called on the FBI to make a statement concerning his former Communist affiliations, but was subpoenaed by HUAC in 1951 and obliged to testify in public, naming his fellow believers. Hayden was then allowed to continue working, though he expressed his guilt over having "named names" in his 1966 autobiography, "Wanderer." Ironically, in Stanley Kubrick's classic comedy "Dr. Strangelove" (1963), Hayden played the deranged General Jack D. Ripper, whose over-zealous desire to stop the "communist threat" sets World War III in motion. Among his other memorable roles were the corrupt police captain in "The Godfather" (1972) and the chairman of the board in the comedy "9 to 5" (1980). He rounded out his career portraying John Brown in the CBS Civil War miniseries "The Blue and the Gray" (1982).

Credits

1900

Actor
Leo Dalcò
Show
2018

Studio Spotlight

Actor
Show
2008

Leuchtturm des Chaos

Self
Movie
1983

The Blue and the Gray

Actor
John Brown
Movie
1982

Gas

Actor
Duke Stuyvesant
Movie
1981

Venom

Actor
Howard Anderson
Movie
1981

9 to 5Stream

Actor
Russell Tinsworthy
Movie
1980
69%

Los Marginados

Actor
Movie
1979

Winter KillsStream

Actor
Z.K. Dawson
Movie
1979
92%

The Outsider

Actor
Seamus Flaherty
Movie
1979

King of the Gypsies

Actor
King Zharko Stepanowicz
Movie
1978

The Cinema According to Bertolucci

Actor
Movie
1976

Cry Onion

Actor
Petrus Lamb
Movie
1975

Deadly Strangers

Actor
Malcolm Robarts
Movie
1974

Fly Me -- If You Can Find Me

Actor
Tony Fowler
Movie
1974

The Last Days of Man on Earth

Actor
Maj. Wrongway Lindbergh
Movie
1973

The Long GoodbyeStream

Actor
Roger Wade
Movie
1973
95%

The Beginning

Actor
Old Jeremiah
Movie
1973

Banacek

Guest Star
Tony Fowler
Series
1972

The GodfatherStream

Actor
Police Captain McCluskey
Movie
1972
97%

Da parte degli amici: Firmato mafia!

Actor
Movie
1971

Loving

Actor
Lepridon
Movie
1970

Hard Contract

Actor
Michael Carlson
Movie
1969

Dr. StrangeloveStream

Actor
Brig. Gen. Jack D. Ripper
Movie
1964
98%

Carol for Another ChristmasStream

Actor
Daniel Grudge
Movie
1964

Ten Days to Tulara

Actor
Scotty
Movie
1958

Terror in a Texas Town

Actor
George Hansen
Movie
1958

Wagon TrainStream

Guest Star
Les Rand
Series
1957

Crime of Passion

Actor
Police Lt. Bill Doyle
Movie
1957

Zero Hour

Actor
Capt. Martin Treleaven
Movie
1957

Five Steps to Danger

Actor
John Emmett
Movie
1957

Gun Battle at Monterey

Actor
Jay Turner/John York
Movie
1957

Valerie

Actor
John Garth
Movie
1957

The Iron Sheriff

Actor
Sheriff Samuel "Sam" Galt
Movie
1957

Zane Grey TheaterStream

Actor
Series
1956

The Come On

Actor
Dave Arnold
Movie
1956

The KillingStream

Actor
Johnny Clay
Movie
1956
96%

The Last CommandStream

Actor
Jim Bowie
Movie
1955

Shotgun

Actor
Clay Hardin
Movie
1955

Battle Taxi

Actor
Capt. Russ Edwards
Movie
1955

Top Gun

Actor
Rick Martin
Movie
1955

Johnny GuitarStream

Actor
Johnny "Guitar" Logan
Movie
1954
94%

Crime Wave

Actor
Det. Lt. Sims
Movie
1954

Timberjack

Actor
Tim Chipman
Movie
1954

The Eternal Sea

Actor
Rear-Adm. John Madison Hoskins
Movie
1954

Naked Alibi

Actor
Chief Joe Conroy
Movie
1954

Prince ValiantStream

Actor
Sir Gawain
Movie
1954

Arrow in the Dust

Actor
Bart Lash
Movie
1954

SuddenlyStream

Actor
Sheriff Tod Shaw
Movie
1954
100%

So Big

Actor
Pervis DeJong
Movie
1953

Fighter Attack

Actor
Steve
Movie
1953

Kansas Pacific

Actor
Capt. John Nelson
Movie
1953

Take Me to Town

Actor
Will Hall
Movie
1953

Hellgate

Actor
Gilman S. Hanley
Movie
1953

The Golden Hawk

Actor
Kit "The Hawk" Gerardo
Movie
1952

Flat Top

Actor
Cmdr. Dan Collier
Movie
1952

Denver & Rio Grande

Actor
McCabe
Movie
1952

The Star

Actor
Jim Johannsen
Movie
1952

Flaming Feather

Actor
Tex McCloud
Movie
1951

Journey Into Light

Actor
Rev, John Burrows
Movie
1951

The Asphalt JungleStream

Actor
Dix Handley
Movie
1950
97%

El Paso

Actor
Bert Donner
Movie
1949

Manhandled

Actor
Joe Cooper
Movie
1949

Variety Girl

Actor
Movie
1947

Blaze of Noon

Actor
Tad McDonald
Movie
1947

Virginia

Actor
Norman Williams
Movie
1941

Bahama Passage

Actor
Adrian Ainsworth
Movie
1941