Actor
Harry Dean Stanton
Born 14 July 1926 · West Irvine, Kentucky, USA — died 15 September 2017
Harry Dean Stanton (1926–2017) was an American actor born in Kentucky. Over six decades he became one of cinema's best-loved character actors, known for a weathered, quietly soulful presence. Mostly a supporting player, he also took memorable leads in Paris, Texas and Lucky.
Key films
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
An early notable role in a classic, showing him as a reliable screen presence in major films.
Alien (1979)
He played Brett, a crew member of the Nostromo, in one of the landmark sci-fi horror films.
Repo Man (1984)
A cult classic in which he played veteran repo man Bud, a signature role.
Paris, Texas (1984)
His celebrated lead role as a drifter searching for his family, in Wim Wenders' acclaimed drama.
Lucky (2017)
A rare late-career lead, released shortly after his death and widely seen as a fitting farewell.
Key awards
No major awards are documented here.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 152
- 1956The Wrong Man · as Department of Corrections Employee (uncredited)Actor
- 1957Revolt at Fort Laramie · as RintyActor
- 1957Tomahawk Trail · as Pvt. MillerActor
- 1958The Proud Rebel · as Jeb BurleighActor
- 1959Pork Chop Hill · as BAR Soldier (uncredited)Actor
- 1959The Jayhawkers! · as Deputy SmallwoodActor
- 1959A Dog's Best Friend · as Roy JanneyActor
- 1960The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn · as Slave CatcherActor
- 1960Escape to Sonoita · as LemonActor
- 1962How the West Was Won · as Gant HenchmanActor
- 1962Hero's Island · as Dixey GatesActor
- 1963The Man from the Diners' Club · as Beatnik (uncredited)Actor
- 1966Ride in the Whirlwind · as Blind DickActor
- 1966The Dangerous Days of Kiowa Jones · as JellyActor
- 1967Cool Hand Luke · as TrampActor
- 1967A Time for Killing · as Sgt. Dan WayActor
- 1967The Hostage · as Eddie (as Dean Stanton)Actor
- 1968Day of the Evil Gun · as Sergeant ParkerActor
- 1968The Mini-Skirt Mob · as SpookActor
- 1969Lanton Mills · as LantonActor
- 1970Kelly's Heroes · as Pvt. WillardActor
- 1970Rebel Rousers · as Randolph HalversonActor
- 1970The Intruders · as Whit Dykstra (as Dean Stanton)Actor
- 1971Two-Lane Blacktop · as Oklahoma HitchhikerActor
- 1972Cisco Pike · as Jesse DupreActor
- 1972Cry for Me, Billy · as Luke ToddActor
- 1973Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid · as LukeActor
- 1973Dillinger · as Homer Van MeterActor
- 1974The Godfather Part II · as F.B.I. Man #1Actor
- 1974Cockfighter · as Jack BurkeActor
- 1974Zandy's Bride · as SongerActor
- 1974Where the Lilies Bloom · as Kiser PeaseActor
- 1975Farewell, My Lovely · as Billy RolfeActor
- 1975The Fortune · as Prisoner in Holding Cell (uncredited)Actor
- 1975Rancho Deluxe · as CurtActor
- 1975Rafferty and the Gold Dust Twins · as Billy WinstonActor
- 197592 in the Shade · as CarterActor
- 1975Win, Place or Steal · as JackActor
- 1975The Legendary Curse of the Hope Diamond · as President Warren G. HardingActor
- 1975The Ransom of Red Chief · as SamActor
- 1976The Missouri Breaks · as CalvinActor
- 1978Straight Time · as Jerry SchueActor
- 1978Renaldo and Clara · as LafkezioActor
- 1979Alien · as BrettActor
- 1979The Rose · as Billy RayActor
- 1979Wise Blood · as Asa HawksActor
- 1979Flatbed Annie & Sweetie Pie: Lady Truckers · as C.W. DouglasActor
- 1979Young Maverick - Dead Man's Hand · as Pokey TindleActor
- 1980Private Benjamin · as Sgt. Jim BallardActor
- 1980Death Watch · as Vincent FerrimanActor
- 1980The Black Marble · as Philo SkinnerActor
- 1980The Oldest Living Graduate · as MikeActor
- 1981Escape from New York · as Harold 'Brain' HelmanActor
- 1982One from the Heart · as MoeActor
- 1982Young Doctors in Love · as Dr. Oliver LudwigActor
- 1983Christine · as Rudolph JunkinsActor
- 1983I Want to Live · as Emmett PerkinsActor
- 1984Paris, Texas · as TravisActor
- 1984Red Dawn · as Mr. EckertActor
- 1984Repo Man · as BudActor
- 1984UFOria · as Brother Bud SandersActor
- 1984The Bear · as Coach ThomasActor
- 1985The Care Bears Movie · as Brave Heart Lion (singing voice)Actor
- 1985One Magic Christmas · as GideonActor
- 1985Fool for Love · as Old ManActor
- 1986Pretty in Pink · as Jack WalshActor
- 1987Slam Dance · as Det. Benjamin SmileyActor
- 1987Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle · as Rip Van WinkleActor
- 1988The Last Temptation of Christ · as PaulusActor
- 1988The Cowboy and the Frenchman · as SlimActor
- 1988Mr. North · as Henry SimmonsActor
- 1988Stars & Bars · as Loomis GageActor
- 1988The French as Seen by… · as (Segment "The Cowboy and the Frenchman")Actor
- 1988Roy Orbison and Friends: A Black and White Night · as Self - Audience MemberActor
- 1989Dream a Little Dream · as Ike BakerActor
- 1989Twister · as ClevelandActor
- 1989Monster Maker · as Chancey BellowActor
- 1990Wild at Heart · as Johnnie FarragutActor
- 1990The Fourth War · as Gen. HackworthActor
- 1990Motion and Emotion: The Films of Wim Wenders · as SelfActor
- 1990Motion and Emotion: The Road to 'Paris, Texas' · as SelfActor
- 1991Payoff · as HookActor
- 1992Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me · as Carl RoddActor
- 1992Man Trouble · as Redmond LaylsActor
- 1992Hostages · as Frank ReedActor
- 1992Cruise ControlActor
- 1993Warren Oates: Across the Border · as SelfActor
- 1994Against the Wall · as HalActor
- 1994Blue Tiger · as SmithActor
- 1995Never Talk to Strangers · as Max CheskiActor
- 1995One Hundred and One Nights · as Mute Actor in Hollywood (uncredited)Actor
- 1996Down Periscope · as Lt. HowardActor
- 1996Playback · as Ernie FontenotActor
- 1997Fire Down Below · as Cotton HarryActor
- 1997She's So Lovely · as Tony 'Shorty' RussoActor
- 1997Midnight Blue · as EricActor
- 1998Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas · as JudgeActor
- 1998A Civil Action · as Land Watcher (uncredited)Actor
- 1998The Mighty · as GrimActor
- 1999The Green Mile · as Toot-TootActor
- 1999The Straight Story · as LyleActor
- 1999Stephen King: Shining in the Dark · as SelfActor
- 1999Ballad of the Nightingale · as Jean-PaulActor
- 2000The Man Who Cried · as Felix PerlmanActor
- 2000Sand · as LeoActor
- 2001The Animal · as Hunter (uncredited)Actor
- 2001The Pledge · as Floyd CageActor
- 2002Sonny · as HenryActor
- 2002The Short Films of David Lynch · as SelfActor
- 2003Anger Management · as Blind Man (uncredited)Actor
- 2003Bukowski: Born Into This · as SelfActor
- 2003The Beast Within: Making Alien · as SelfActor
- 2003Ginostra · as Del PieroActor
- 2003Hunter Goes to Hollywood · as HimselfActor
- 2003Return to 'Escape from New York' · as HimselfActor
- 2004The Big Bounce · as Bob Rogers, Sr.Actor
- 2004Dig! · as SelfActor
- 2004Chrystal · as Pa DaActor
- 2004Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade · as SelfActor
- 2005The Wendell Baker Story · as Skip SummersActor
- 2006Alpha Dog · as Cosmo GadabeetiActor
- 2006You, Me and Dupree · as Curly (uncredited)Actor
- 2006Inland Empire · as Freddie HowardActor
- 2006Alien Autopsy · as HarveyActor
- 2006Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride · as SelfActor
- 2006Harry Zen Stanton · as HimselfActor
- 2007The Good Life · as GusActor
- 2007Mr. Warmth: The Don Rickles Project · as SelfActor
- 2007Being Michael Madsen · as SelfActor
- 2007Lynch 2 · as SelfActor
- 2009The Open Road · as AmonActor
- 2010On Holiday · as Josh the Roommate's DadActor
- 2010Athena · as BillActor
- 2011Rango · as Balthazar (voice)Actor
- 2011This Must Be the Place · as Robert PlathActor
- 2011Harry Dean Stanton: Crossing MulhollandActor
- 2012The Avengers · as Security GuardActor
- 2012Seven Psychopaths · as Man in HatActor
- 2012Char·ac·ter · as SelfActor
- 2013The Last Stand · as Mr. ParsonActor
- 2013Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction · as SelfActor
- 20139 Full Moons · as DimitriActor
- 2014Fishtail · as NarratorActor
- 2014Walking the Mile · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2014Carlos Spills the Beans · as RhinoActor
- 2017Lucky · as LuckyActor
- 2017Sick of it All · as Harry The News ReporterActor
- 2018Frank and Ava · as Sheriff LloydActor
- 2019Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Wim Wenders, Desperado · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2022American Badass: A Michael Madsen Retrospective · as SelfActor
- 2025Sinatra! Eternity · as Sherif LloydActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.