Personal Info
Known For:
Acting
Birthday:
November 16, 1945
Place of Birth:
Dallas, Texas, USA
Social Media
Steve Railsback
Biography
Steve Railsback (born November 16, 1945, in Dallas, Texas) is an American theatre, film, and television actor. He is best known for his performances in the films The Stunt Man and Lifeforce, and his portrayal of Charles Manson in the 1976 television mini-series Helter Skelter.
Railsback was a student of Lee Strasberg and the Actors Studio and in the late 1960s and early 1970s spent 10 years working in theatre in New York City. He once said that he found Strasberg extremely difficult to work with.
He made his film debut in The Visitors, directed by Elia Kazan. He portrayed two notorious murderers, appearing as Charles Manson in the 1976 television miniseries Helter Skelter and as Ed Gein in the 2000 film In the Light of the Moon. He also served as executive producer of the latter film.
Other notable roles include the part of Cameron in The Stunt Man with Peter O'Toole, the astronaut Tom Carlsen in Tobe Hooper's Lifeforce, Duane Barry in two episodes of The X-Files, and Joseph Welch in the pilot episode of Supernatural.
In 2008, he appeared in the science fiction/horror movie film Plaguers.
Known For
Filmography
| Year | Movie | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault | Self |
| 2024 | Unspeakable: Beyond The Wall of Sleep | |
| 2022 | Night Caller | Andrew Lubitz |
| 2020 | AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A. | Self |
| 2018 | Gone Are the Days | Jaden |
| 2014 | Wild in Blue | Charlie's Father |
| 2014 | Infiltrators | Sebastian Koenig |
| 2010 | Plaguers | Tarver |
| 2010 | Once Fallen | Aryan Boss |
| 2009 | Ready or Not | Pilot |
| 2009 | American Pie Presents: The Book of Love | Alumnus Guy #5 |
| 2009 | Follow the Prophet | Senator Stanton |
| 2008 | Rest Stop: Don't Look Back | The Owner |
| 2008 | Not Quite Hollywood | Self |
| 2005 | The Devil's Rejects | Sheriff Ken Dwyer |
| 2005 | Intermedio | Old Man |
| 2005 | Neo Ned | Mr. Day |
| 2005 | King of the Lost World | Larry |
| 2004 | UnConventional | Self |
| 2003 | The Box - 2003 | Jake Ragna |
| 2003 | The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting | Deputy Jessup (uncredited) |
| 2002 | Slash | Jeremiah |
| 2001 | Storytelling | Mr. Kirk |
| 2001 | Zigs | Charlie |
| 2000 | Ed Gein | Ed Gein |
| 2000 | The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man | |
| 1999 | Made Men | Kyle |
| 1999 | Me and Will | Rob |
| 1998 | Disturbing Behavior | Officer Cox |
| 1998 | Termination Man | Dylan Pope |
| 1997 | Stranger in the House | Jack Derby |
| 1997 | Vanishing Point | Sergeant Preston |
| 1997 | Pressure Point | Arno Taylor |
| 1996 | Barb Wire | Colonel Pryzer |
| 1996 | Street Corner Justice | Sergeant Ryan Freeborn |
| 1994 | Final Mission | Colonel Glen Anderson |
| 1994 | Save Me | Robbins |
| 1994 | Separated by Murder | Jesse Dixon |
| 1993 | Private Wars | Jack Manning |
| 1993 | Bonds of Love | Ken Smith |
| 1993 | In the Line of Fire | CIA Agent David Coppinger (uncredited) |
| 1993 | Calendar Girl | Eddie Darpinian |
| 1992 | Forever | William Desmond Taylor |
| 1992 | Quake | Kyle |
| 1992 | Sunstroke | Biggs |
| 1991 | Alligator 2: The Mutation | Vinnie Brown |
| 1991 | Scissors | Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan |
| 1990 | The Assassin | Hank Knight |
| 1990 | The Cops Are Robbers | |
| 1990 | La cruz de Iberia | Novak |
| 1989 | The Forgotten | Lt. Jesse Brady |
| 1988 | Deadly Intent | Jeff Kirkwood |
| 1987 | Nukie | Dr. Eric Harvey |
| 1987 | Scenes From the Goldmine | Harry Spiros |
| 1987 | Blue Monkey | Det. Jim Bishop |
| 1987 | Distortions | Scott Marshall |
| 1987 | The Survivalist | Jack Tillman |
| 1986 | Armed and Dangerous | The Cowboy |
| 1986 | The Wind | Kesner |
| 1986 | Spearfield's Daughter | Tom Border |
| 1985 | Lifeforce | Col. Tom Carlsen |
| 1985 | Torchlight | Jake Gregory |
| 1983 | The Golden Seal | Jim Lee |
| 1983 | Great Transport | Pavle Paroški |
| 1982 | Turkey Shoot | Paul Anders |
| 1982 | Deadly Games | Billy Owens |
| 1982 | Trick or Treats | Bret |
| 1980 | The Stunt Man | Cameron |
| 1977 | Angela | Jean |
| 1976 | Helter Skelter | Charles Manson |
| 1974 | Cockfighter | Junior |
| 1972 | The Last Escape of Billy the Kid | Billy the Kid |
| 1972 | The Visitors | Mike Nickerson |
| 1951 | H: The Story of a Teen-Age Drug Addict | Bill |
| Best Served Cold | Himself |
| Year | TV Show | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Decker | Fictional General Cotter |
| 2011 | Femme Fatales | Dr. Daniel Duryea |
| 2008 | The Mentalist | Fred Kittel |
| 2005 | Supernatural | |
| 2005 | Supernatural | Joseph Welch |
| 1999 | Family Law | Gary Peres |
| 1998 | Charmed | Litvack |
| 1997 | The Visitor | Colonel James Vise |
| 1993 | The X-Files | Duane Barry |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | (segment "Dead Run") |
| 1983 | The Great Transport | Pavle Paroški |
| 1979 | From Here to Eternity | Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt |
| 1976 | Helter Skelter | Charles Manson |