Lee Van Cleef, at an imposing 6ft 2 (188 cm), embodied the archetype of the tall, menacing gunslinger in classic Westerns, his towering stature amplifying his cold, calculating screen presence.
His height made him a standout villain in iconic films like High Noon, For a Few Dollars More, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Sabata, and Death Rides a Horse, where his powerful frame intimidated both on-screen foes and co-stars.
William Shatner recalled, "Lee was well over six feet tall, a huge man, powerful... Even when the cameras weren't rolling, he was an intimidating figure." Van Cleef himself affirmed, "I'm six-feet two, weigh around one-ninety, two hundred, I'm fairly well put together."