Steve Railsback
Born
November 16, 1945 (age 80)
Birthplace
Dallas, Texas, USA

Steve Railsback

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.

Movies

Unspeakable: Beyond The Wall of Sleep
Unspeakable: Beyond The Wall of Sleep
2024 ★ 3.6
Night Caller
Night Caller
2022 ★ 4.9
Andrew Lubitz
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
2020
(archive footage)
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2020
(archive footage)
Gone Are the Days
Gone Are the Days
2018 ★ 5.4
Jaden
Infiltrators
Infiltrators
2014
Sebastian Koenig
Wild in Blue
Wild in Blue
2014 ★ 4.3
Charlie's Father
Once Fallen
Once Fallen
2010 ★ 5.2
Aryan Boss
Plaguers
Plaguers
2010 ★ 2.9
Tarver
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
2009 ★ 5.3
Alumnus Guy #5
Follow the Prophet
Follow the Prophet
2009 ★ 4.5
Senator Stanton
Ready or Not
Ready or Not
2009 ★ 4.1
Pilot
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back
2008 ★ 5.5
The Owner
King of the Lost World
King of the Lost World
2005 ★ 4.2
Larry
The Devil's Rejects
The Devil's Rejects
2005 ★ 6.7
Sheriff Ken Dwyer
Neo Ned
Neo Ned
2005 ★ 5.9
Mr. Day
Intermedio
Intermedio
2005 ★ 4.1
Old Man
The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting
The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting
2003 ★ 4.7
Deputy Jessup (uncredited)
The Box
The Box
2003 ★ 3.8
Jake Ragna
Slash
Slash
2002 ★ 4.0
Jeremiah
Storytelling
Storytelling
2001 ★ 6.5
Mr. Kirk
Zigs
Zigs
2001 ★ 3.5
Charlie
Ed Gein
Ed Gein
2000 ★ 5.3
Ed Gein
The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man
The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man
2000 ★ 7.0
Me and Will
Me and Will
1999 ★ 5.2
Rob
Made Men
Made Men
1999 ★ 5.1
Kyle
Disturbing Behavior
Disturbing Behavior
1998 ★ 5.8
Officer Cox
Termination Man
Termination Man
1998 ★ 3.8
Dylan Pope
Pressure Point
Pressure Point
1997 ★ 2.1
Arno Taylor
Vanishing Point
Vanishing Point
1997 ★ 5.5
Sergeant Preston
Stranger in the House
Stranger in the House
1997 ★ 6.5
Jack Derby
Street Corner Justice
Street Corner Justice
1996 ★ 4.7
Sergeant Ryan Freeborn
Barb Wire
Barb Wire
1996 ★ 4.1
Colonel Pryzer
Final Mission
Final Mission
1994 ★ 3.7
Colonel Glen Anderson
Separated by Murder
Separated by Murder
1994 ★ 3.3
Jesse Dixon
Save Me
Save Me
1994 ★ 4.4
Robbins
Private Wars
Private Wars
1993 ★ 6.5
Jack Manning
Calendar Girl
Calendar Girl
1993 ★ 5.1
Eddie Darpinian
In the Line of Fire
In the Line of Fire
1993 ★ 7.0
CIA Agent David Coppinger (uncredited)
Bonds of Love
Bonds of Love
1993 ★ 5.3
Ken Smith
Sunstroke
Sunstroke
1992 ★ 3.0
Biggs
Quake
Quake
1992 ★ 3.1
Kyle
Forever
Forever
1992 ★ 1.9
William Desmond Taylor
Alligator 2: The Mutation
Alligator 2: The Mutation
1991 ★ 4.8
Vinnie Brown
Scissors
Scissors
1991 ★ 5.0
Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan
The Cops Are Robbers
The Cops Are Robbers
1990 ★ 3.0
The Assassin
The Assassin
1990 ★ 3.8
Hank Knight
The Cross of Iberia
The Cross of Iberia
1990 ★ 2.0
Novak
The Forgotten
The Forgotten
1989 ★ 5.4
Lt. Jesse Brady
Deadly Intent
Deadly Intent
1988 ★ 4.5
Jeff Kirkwood
Blue Monkey
Blue Monkey
1987 ★ 4.9
Det. Jim Bishop
Scenes from the Goldmine
Scenes from the Goldmine
1987 ★ 4.0
Harry Spiros
Nukie
Nukie
1987 ★ 2.1
Dr. Eric Harvey
Distortions
Distortions
1987
Scott Marshall
The Survivalist
The Survivalist
1987 ★ 2.4
Jack Tillman
The Wind
The Wind
1986 ★ 5.1
Kesner
Armed and Dangerous
Armed and Dangerous
1986 ★ 5.7
The Cowboy
Spearfield's Daughter
Spearfield's Daughter
1986
Tom Border
Lifeforce
Lifeforce
1985 ★ 6.2
Col. Tom Carlsen
Torchlight
Torchlight
1984 ★ 2.7
Jake Gregory
The Golden Seal
The Golden Seal
1983 ★ 5.0
Jim Lee
Great Transport
Great Transport
1983 ★ 7.1
Pavle Paroški
Trick or Treats
Trick or Treats
1982 ★ 3.9
Bret
Deadly Games
Deadly Games
1982 ★ 3.0
Billy Owens
Turkey Shoot
Turkey Shoot
1982 ★ 5.4
Paul Anders
The Stunt Man
The Stunt Man
1980 ★ 6.6
Cameron
Angela
Angela
1977 ★ 3.8
Jean
Helter Skelter
Helter Skelter
1976 ★ 6.8
Charles Manson
Cockfighter
Cockfighter
1974 ★ 6.0
Junior
The Visitors
The Visitors
1972 ★ 6.0
Mike Nickerson
The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
1972
Billy the Kid
H: The Story of a Teen-Age Drug Addict
H: The Story of a Teen-Age Drug Addict
1951 ★ 6.0
Bill

TV Series