---
name: "Rod Steiger"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/rod-steiger"
fi1m_id: "rod-steiger"
imdb_id: "nm0001768"
tmdb_id: 522
wikidata_id: "Q273215"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "14 April 1925"
died: "9 July 2002"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 9
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-05T01:41:52.415709+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Rod Steiger

## Identity

Rod Steiger

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/rod-steiger
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** rod-steiger
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001768
- **TMDB ID:** 522
- **Wikidata ID:** Q273215
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Steiger, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q273215, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001768/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/522

Actor. Born 14 April 1925 in Westhampton, New York, USA. Died 9 July 2002.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 14 April 1925, Westhampton, New York, USA
- **Died:** 9 July 2002
- **Active:** 1954–1999
- **Also known as:** Род Стайгер, Rodney Stephen Steiger, راد استایگر
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 9: 8 acting, 1 other
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 2 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 68, as actor, over 8 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1950s 80 (2), 1960s 74 (3), 1990s 53 (3), 2010s 85 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 63 across 8 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 4 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 6 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 4, Action 3, Romance 3, Crime 2, Fantasy 2, Thriller 2
- **Screen time:** 18 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $697m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rod_Steiger, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q273215, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001768/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/522

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*On the Waterfront*](https://film.one/film/on-the-waterfront.md) (89), [*I Am Not Your Negro*](https://film.one/film/i-am-not-your-negro.md) (85), [*Oklahoma!*](https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md) (72)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*In the Heat of the Night*](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md) (85), [*Mars Attacks!*](https://film.one/film/mars-attacks.md) (66)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Rod Steiger

> Steiger acted with his whole body, jaw included, and the question was always whether the director could hold him. When one could, in *On the Waterfront* and *The Pawnbroker*, he was as good as anyone. When nobody could, he ate the set.

Bill Gillespie, the police chief in *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), chews gum. He chews it while he is being a fool and he chews it while he works out that he has been one, and the speed of the jaw tells you which. That is Steiger's way of working in a single habit: find one thing the man's body does and let it say what the man will not. Raoul Peck cuts that jaw into *I Am Not Your Negro* (2017) as evidence for James Baldwin's case against Hollywood, and even shown as a symptom it is plainly acting of a high order.

He came out of live television, more than 250 productions in the late 1940s and early 1950s, including the title part in the 1953 teleplay *Marty*, with a first film in *Teresa* (1951). Elia Kazan gave him Charley Malloy in *On the Waterfront* (1954) and he spent the rest of the decade in character parts. The 1960s were the peak: Sol Nazerman in Sidney Lumet's *The Pawnbroker* (1964), Komarovsky in David Lean's *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), Gillespie for Norman Jewison, and then Juan Miranda in Sergio Leone's *Duck, You Sucker* (1971). After that he kept working, in films and on television, into the 1990s and beyond, and the later work is where the complaints gather.

Our review of *On the Waterfront* said Steiger keeps his scenes with Brando from turning into a solo exhibition, and that undersells it. The scene in the back of a taxi, which we will not describe, belongs to Brando by reputation, and we went in expecting to watch him. We came out thinking about the older brother, whose face gives up on the argument a full beat before his mouth does. Steiger said later of that scene, "I stayed to deliver my lines from off-camera to Brando when he did his close-ups, but when it came time for my close-up, Mr. Brando left, walked away." So he is listening to nobody, and it looks like the most attentive listening in the film.

The other Steiger is loud. He was a Method actor, drawing on himself and going a long way into the part, and when nobody was minding him the result was volume. *No Way to Treat a Lady* (1968) is the usual example, and much of what followed in the 1970s and after ran the same way, the mannerisms doing the work the character should have. Kazan, Lumet and Jewison knew how to hold him, and *The Pawnbroker* is by common account his most inward performance and the one he rated himself. Steiger was as good as the person telling him to do less.

Start with *On the Waterfront*, then *The Pawnbroker*, then *In the Heat of the Night*, in that order. After 1971, check who directed it before you commit the evening.

## Biography

Rod Steiger was an American actor. Born on 14 April 1925 in Westhampton, New York, he served in the US Navy during the Second World War before studying at the Actors Studio in New York. He appeared in more than 250 live television productions and originated the title role in the 1953 teleplay *Marty*.

Steiger made his film debut in *Teresa* (1951) and received his first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Charley Malloy in *On the Waterfront* (1954). He later won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as Police Chief Bill Gillespie in *In the Heat of the Night* (1967). Other notable film roles include *The Pawnbroker* (1964), *Doctor Zhivago* (1965) and *The Hurricane* (1999). He died on 9 July 2002 in Los Angeles.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, imdb.com, bfi.org.uk.*

## On Fi1m (9)

### Performed in (8) — the average rests on these

- *End of Days* (1999), Fi1m 48, as Father Kovak — [page](https://film.one/film/end-of-days.md)
- *Mars Attacks!* (1996), Fi1m 66, as General Decker — [page](https://film.one/film/mars-attacks.md)
- *The Specialist* (1994), Fi1m 45, as Joe Leon — [page](https://film.one/film/the-specialist.md)
- *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), Fi1m 85, as Police Chief Bill Gillespie — [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md)
- *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), Fi1m 70, as Viktor Komarovsky — [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md)
- *The Longest Day* (1962), Fi1m 68, as Destroyer Commander — [page](https://film.one/film/the-longest-day.md)
- *Oklahoma!* (1955), Fi1m 72, as Jud Fry — [page](https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md)
- *On the Waterfront* (1954), Fi1m 89, as Charley Malloy — [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-waterfront.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *I Am Not Your Negro* (2017), Fi1m 85, as Self (archive footage) — [page](https://film.one/film/i-am-not-your-negro.md)

## Complete filmography (143)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Hollywood Sign* (2002), as Floyd Benson
- *The Men Who Made the Movies: Samuel Fuller* (2002), as Pvt. O'Meara (archive footage)
- *Poolhall Junkies* (2002), as Nick
- *A Month of Sundays* (2001), as Charley McCabe
- *The Flying Dutchman* (2001), as Ben
- *Body and Soul* (2000), as Johnny Ticotin
- *The Last Producer* (2000), as Sheri Ganse
- *Animated Epics: Moby Dick* (2000), as Ahab (voice)
- *End of Days* (1999), as Father Kovak — Fi1m 48, [page](https://film.one/film/end-of-days.md)
- *Crazy in Alabama* (1999), as Judge Louis Mead
- *The Hurricane* (1999), as Judge Sarokin
- *Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season* (1999), as Doc Wallace
- *Cypress Edge* (1999), as Woodrow McCammon
- *Modern Vampires* (1998), as Dr. Frederick Van Helsing
- *Legacy* (1998), as Sadler
- *Animals with the Tollkeeper* (1998), as Fontina
- *Kingdom of Shadows* (1998), as Narrator
- *Incognito* (1997), as Milton A. Donovan
- *Truth or Consequences, N.M.* (1997), as Tony Vago
- *Breakout* (1997), series, as Narrator
- *The Kid* (1997), as Harry Sloan
- *Mars Attacks!* (1996), as General Decker — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/mars-attacks.md)
- *Shiloh* (1996), as Doc Wallace
- *EZ Streets* (1996), series, Actor
- *Little Surprises* (1996), Actor
- *Carpool* (1996), as Mr. Hammerman
- *Dalva* (1996), as John Wesley Northridge II
- *The Real Thing* (1996), as Victor
- *Out There* (1995), as Col. Buck Gunner
- *Captain Nuke and the Bomber Boys* (1995), as The President
- *Forbidden City: The Great Within* (1995), as Narrator (voice)
- *In Pursuit of Honor* (1995), as Col. Owen Stuart
- *Choices of the Heart: The Margaret Sanger Story* (1995), as Anthony Comstock
- *OP Center* (1995), as Boroda
- *OP Center* (1995), series, as Boroda
- *Seven Sundays* (1995), as Benjamin
- *The Specialist* (1994), as Joe Leon — Fi1m 45, [page](https://film.one/film/the-specialist.md)
- *The Last Tattoo* (1994), as General Frank W. Zane
- *The Critic* (1994), series, as Rod Steiger (voice)
- *The Neighbor* (1993), as Dr. Myron Hatch
- *Tales of the City* (1993), series, as Bookshop Owner
- *The Final Contract* (1993), as Frank Argento
- *Lincoln* (1992), as Gen. Ulysses S. Grant (voice)
- *Sinatra* (1992), series, as Salvatore 'Sam' 'Momo' Giancana
- *Earth and the American Dream* (1992), as Reader (voice)
- *The Player* (1992), as Rod Steiger — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-player.md)
- *The Commish* (1991), series, Actor
- *In the Line of Duty: Manhunt in the Dakotas* (1991), as Gordon Kahl
- *Guilty as Charged* (1991), as Kallin
- *The Ballad of the Sad Cafe* (1991), as Rev. Willin
- *Men Of Respect* (1990), as Charlie D'Amico
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Captain Tenille (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Tennessee Nights* (1989), as Richter Prescott
- *Passion and Paradise* (1989), as Sir Harry Oakes
- *The January Man* (1989), as Mayor Eamon Flynn
- *That Summer of White Roses* (1989), as Martin
- *Desperado: Avalanche at Devil's Ridge* (1988), as Silas Slaten
- *Catch the Heat* (1987), as Jason Hannibal
- *American Gothic* (1987), as Pa
- *The Kindred* (1987), as Dr. Phillip Lloyd
- *Sword of Gideon* (1986), as Mordechai Samuels
- *Hollywood Wives* (1985), series, as Oliver Easterne
- *Television* (1985), series, Actor
- *The Glory Boys* (1984), series, as Professor David Sokarev
- *The Naked Face* (1984), as Lieutenant McGreary
- *The Magic Mountain* (1984), series, as Mynheer Peperkorn
- *Cook & Peary: The Race to the Pole* (1983), as Robert E. Peary
- *The Lucky Star* (1982), as Colonel Gluck
- *The Magic Mountain* (1982), as Mynher Peperkorn
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Bookstore Owner
- *The Chosen* (1981), as Reb Saunders
- *Cattle Annie and Little Britches* (1981), as Tilghman
- *Lion of the Desert* (1981), as Benito Mussolini
- *Klondike Fever* (1980), as Soapy Smith
- *Wolf Lake* (1980), as Charlie
- *The Amityville Horror* (1979), as Father Delaney
- *Portrait of a Hitman* (1979), as Max Androtti
- *Love and Bullets* (1979), as Joe Bomposa
- *Breakthrough* (1979), as General Webster
- *F.I.S.T.* (1978), as Sen. Andrew Madison
- *Jesus of Nazareth* (1977), series, as Pontius Pilate
- *W.C. Fields and Me* (1976), as W. C. Fields
- *Hennessy* (1975), as Niall Hennessy
- *Innocents with Dirty Hands* (1975), as Louis Wormser
- *The Last Four Days* (1974), as Mussolini
- *Lucky Luciano* (1973), as Gene Giannini
- *The Heroes* (1973), as Guenther von Lutz
- *Lolly-Madonna XXX* (1973), as Laban Feather
- *Happy Birthday, Wanda June* (1971), as Harold Ryan
- *Duck, You Sucker* (1971), as Juan Miranda
- *Columbo* (1971), series, as Vincenzo Fortelli — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/columbo.md)
- *Waterloo* (1970), as Napoleon Bonaparte
- *The Distant Drummer: Bridge from No Place* (1970), as Narrator
- *3 Into 2 Won't Go* (1969), as Steve Howard
- *The Illustrated Man* (1969), as Carl
- *The Sergeant* (1968), as MSgt. Albert Callan
- *No Way to Treat a Lady* (1968), as Christopher Gill
- *Omnibus* (1967), series, Actor
- *The Girl and the General* (1967), as der General
- *In the Heat of the Night* (1967), as Police Chief Bill Gillespie — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/in-the-heat-of-the-night.md)
- *Death of a Salesman* (1966), as Willy Loman
- *Doctor Zhivago* (1965), as Viktor Komarovsky — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/doctor-zhivago.md)
- *A Man Named John* (1965), as The Intermediary
- *BBC Play of the Month* (1965), series, as Willy Loman
- *The Loved One* (1965), as Mr. Joyboy
- *The Pawnbroker* (1965), as Sol Nazerman
- *Time of Indifference* (1964), as Leo
- *MGM 40th Anniversary* (1964), Actor
- *Hands Over the City* (1963), as Edoardo Nottola
- *The Longest Day* (1962), as Destroyer Commander — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/the-longest-day.md)
- *Convicts 4* (1962), as Tiptoes
- *13 West Street* (1962), as Detective Sergeant Koleski
- *Ben Casey* (1961), series, Actor
- *An einem Freitag um halb zwölf* (1961), as Frank Morgan
- *The Mark* (1961), as Doctor McNally
- *Route 66* (1960), series, Actor
- *Sunday-Night Play* (1960), series, as Sherriff Harvey Denton
- *Seven Thieves* (1960), as Paul Mason
- *Al Capone* (1959), as Al Capone
- *A Town Has Turned to Dust* (1958), as Harvey Denton
- *Cry Terror!* (1958), as Paul Hoplin
- *Suspicion* (1957), series, as Frank Marre
- *Run of the Arrow* (1957), as Pvt. O'Meara
- *Across the Bridge* (1957), as Carl Schaffner
- *The Unholy Wife* (1957), as Paul Hochen
- *Back from Eternity* (1956), as Vasquel
- *The Harder They Fall* (1956), as Nick Benko
- *Jubal* (1956), as Pinky
- *The Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell* (1955), as Maj. Allan Guillion
- *The Big Knife* (1955), as Stanley Shriner Hoff
- *Oklahoma!* (1955), as Jud Fry — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/oklahoma.md)
- *Screen Director's Playhouse* (1955), series, as Visitor
- *On the Waterfront* (1954), as Charley Malloy — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/on-the-waterfront.md)
- *Marty* (1953), as Marty Pilletti
- *The Evil Within* (1953), as Peter
- *General Electric Theater* (1953), series, as Bruno Holder
- *Out There* (1951), series, Actor
- *Schlitz Playhouse of Stars* (1951), series, as Charles Steinmetz, Hume Searcy
- *Tales of Tomorrow* (1951), series, Actor
- *Teresa* (1951), as Frank
- *Lux Video Theatre* (1950), series, as Victor Honegger
- *Suspense* (1949), series, as Leo Whaley
- *The Philco Television Playhouse* (1948), series, as Marty Pilletti

## Gallery

- !["In the Heat of the Night" (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-d00ffdd3306f.jpg) "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) — キネマ旬報社, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/93/Kinema-Junpo-1967-November-early-1.jpg/1280px-Kinema-Junpo-1967-November-early-1.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Virna Lisi e Rod Steiger in una scena del film La ragazza e il generale (1967)](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-0c6437c93858.jpg) Virna Lisi e Rod Steiger in una scena del film La ragazza e il generale (1967) — Pasquale Festa Campanile (director), Compagnia Cinematografica Champion, Films Concordia (production), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/La_ragazza_e_il_generale_%281967%29_Virna_Lisi_e_Rod_Steiger.jpg/1280px-La_ragazza_e_il_generale_%281967%29_Virna_Lisi_e_Rod_Steiger.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Rod Steiger at the premiere of Sylvester Stallone's movie F.I.S.T., April 1978](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-216596c788ac.jpg) Rod Steiger at the premiere of Sylvester Stallone's movie F.I.S.T., April 1978 — Alan Light, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Rod_Steiger.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Rod Steiger](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-787f72f9185c.jpg) Rod Steiger — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Rod_Steiger_1964.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Rod Steiger](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-0178fd19e45a.jpg) Rod Steiger — Image via TMDB
- ![Rod Steiger](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-d92635b75974.jpg) Rod Steiger — Image via TMDB
- ![Rod Steiger](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-abc1fa21457c.jpg) Rod Steiger — Image via TMDB
- ![This is a press photo, circulated for publicity, of Rod Steiger in 1964, published in 1971 without copyright notice, qualifying it under public domain.](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-2749ff57836d.jpg) This is a press photo, circulated for publicity, of Rod Steiger in 1964, published in 1971 without copyright notice, qualifying it under public domain. — Unknown photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Rod_Steiger_1964_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Rod Steiger](https://film.one/media/person/59321/gallery-8c876e20038c.jpg) Rod Steiger — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- 1968: Best Actor (won), for *In the Heat of the Night*
- 1966: Best Actor (nominated), for *The Pawnbroker*
- 1955: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *On the Waterfront*

### Golden Globes — 1 won

- 1967: Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama (won), for *In the Heat of the Night*

### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won

- 1964: Best Actor (won), for *The Pawnbroker*

### Other awards — 3 won

- star on Hollywood Walk of Fame 1997: star on Hollywood Walk of Fame (won)
- Mary Pickford Award 1996: Mary Pickford Award (won)
- David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor 1969: David di Donatello for Best Foreign Actor (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/rod-steiger