Sterling Hayden

Sterling Hayden
Hayden in 1953
Born	Sterling Relyea Walter (1916-03-26)March 26, 1916 Upper Montclair, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	May 23, 1986(1986-05-23) (aged 70) Sausalito, California, U.S.
Other names	Sterling Walter Hayden John Hamilton
Occupations	Actor author sailor model Marine OSS agent
Years active	1941–1982
Height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Spouses	Madeleine Carroll ​ ​ (m. 1942; div. 1946)​ Betty de Noon ​ ​ (m. 1947; div. 1958)​ Catherine Devine McConnell ​ ​ (m. 1960)​
Children	6
Relatives	Scott McConnell (stepson)
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Marine Corps
Years of service	1941–45
Rank	Captain
Unit	Office of Strategic Services
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	List

Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor, author, sailor, model and Marine. A leading man for most of his career, he specialized in Westerns and film noir throughout the 1950s, in films such as John Huston's The Asphalt Jungle (1950), Nicholas Ray's Johnny Guitar (1954), and Stanley Kubrick's The Killing (1956). He became noted for supporting roles in the 1960s, perhaps most memorably as General Jack D. Ripper in Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

Hayden's success continued into the New Hollywood era, with roles such as Irish-American policeman Captain McCluskey in Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather (1972), alcoholic novelist Roger Wade in Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye (1973), and elderly peasant Leo Dalcò in Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 (1976). With a distinctive "rapid-fire baritone" voice and standing at 6 ft 5 in (196 cm),^[1][2] he had a commanding screen presence in both leading and supporting roles.

Hayden often professed a distaste for acting and used his earnings to finance his numerous voyages as a sailor. He was also a decorated Marine Corps officer and an Office of Strategic Services' agent during World War II.