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Sterling Hayden (March 26, 1916 - May 23, 1986) 
was an United States|American actor. For most of
his career as a leading man, he specialized in
western movie|westerns and film noir.  He is most
noted for his appearance as Gen. Jack D. Ripper in
Dr. Strangelove (1964).  He also played the Irish
policeman, Captain McCluskey, who was gunned down
by Al Pacino, in Francis Ford Coppola's The
Godfather in 1972.Image:SHayden.jpg|thumb|Sterling
Hayden in The Killing

Born in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, Hayden's
parents were George and Frances Walter, who named
him Sterling Relyea Walter. After his father died,
he was adopted at the age of nine by James Hayden
and renamed Sterling Walter Hayden. As a child, he
lived in New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Pennsylvania, Washington D.C., and Maine, where he
attended Wassookeag School in Dexter, Maine.

Hayden was a genuine adventurer and man of action,
not dissimilar from many of his movie parts.  He
ran away to sea at 17, as a ship's boy, then later
was a fisherman on the Grand Banks.  After serving
as sailor and fireman on larger vessels, he was
awarded his first command at 19, and  sailed
around the world several times.  

He became a print model and eventually was signed
to a contract with Paramount Studios, who dubbed
the 6' 5" (1.96 m) actor  The Most Beautiful Man
in the Movies and The Beautiful Blond Viking God. 
His first film role starred Madeleine Carroll,
with whom he fell in love and married.  After only
two film roles, however, he left Hollywood to
serve as an undercover agent with William J.
Donovan's Cordination of Information|COI office
and remained after it became the Office of
Strategic Services|OSS.  He also joined the United
States Marine Corps|Marines under the name John
Hamilton. His World War II service included
running guns through German lines to the Partisans
(Yugoslavia)|Yugoslav partisans and parachuting
into Croatia.  He won the Silver Star and a
commendation from Yugoslavia's Josip Broz
Tito|Marshall Tito.  

His admiration for the Communist partisans led to
a brief involvement with the Communist Party. 
According to his
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001330/bio IMDB
biography, "As Red Scare deepens in U.S., he
cooperated with the House Un-American Activities
Committee, confessing his brief Communist ties.
Ever after regretted this action, holding himself
in enormous contempt for what he considered
'ratting'." 

He professed distaste for film acting, claiming
that he did it mainly to pay for his sailing
vessels.  He defied a court order once and sailed
to Tahiti with his children following a divorce. 
He wrote his autobiography Wanderer in 1963 and an
adventure novel of the tall ships, Voyage: A Novel
of 1896 in 1976.  Both books were well received. 
He died of cancer in 1986.  

== Filmography ==
He appeared in many films, among them:

*The Blue and the Gray TV Series (mini) (1982)
*Venom (1982)
*Gas (1981)
*The Starlost: The Beginning TV (1980)
*Nine to Five (1980)
*The Outsider (1979)
*Winter Kills (1979)
*King of the Gypsies (1978)
*1900 (movie)|1900 (1976)
*Cipolla Colt (1975)
*Is It Any Wonder? (1975)
*Deadly Strangers (1974)
*The Final Programme (1973)
*The Long Goodbye (1973)
*Le Grand départ (1972)
*The Godfather (1972)
*Le Saut de l'ange (1971)
*Loving (movie)|Loving (1970)
*Ternos Cacadores (1969)
*Hard Contract (1969)
*Carol for Another Christmas TV (1964)
*Dr. Strangelove (1964)
*Terror in a Texas Town (1958)
*Ten Days to Tulara (1958)
*Zero Hour!(1957)
*Gun Battle at Monterey (1957)
*5 Steps to Danger (1957)
*Crime of Passion (1957 movie)|Crime of Passion
(1957)
*The Killing (1956)
*The Come On (1956) 
*The Last Command (1955 movie)|The Last Command
(1955), playing Jim Bowie 
*The Eternal Sea (1955)
*Shotgun (1955) 
*Timberjack (1955)
*Suddenly (1954)
*Naked Alibi (1954)
*Johnny Guitar (1954), title role
*Arrow In the Dust (1954)
*Prince Valiant (1954)
*Crime Wave (1954 movie)|Crime Wave also called
The City is Dark, (1954)
*Fighter Attack (1953) 
*The Golden Hawk (1952) 
*Hellgate (1952)
*Denver and Rio Grande (1952)
*Flaming Feather (1952)
*The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
*El Paso (1949)
*Blaze of Noon (1947)
*Virginia (1941)

==External links ==
*imdb name|id=0001330|name=Sterling Hayden
*http://www.briansdriveintheater.com/sterlinghayde
n.html Biography with many photos