As of July 2026, Sterling Hayden is best known for Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television and The Blue and the Gray. Find every show and movie Sterling Hayden has starred in — and where to watch them — below.
Sterling Hayden

Sterling Hayden

Actor Born 1916 Upper Montclair, New Jersey, USA 2 TV Shows 8 Movies

Sterling Walter Hayden (born Sterling Relyea Walter; March 26, 1916 – May 23, 1986) was an American actor and author. He dropped out of high school at the age of 16 and hired on as mate on a schooner. He was a ship's captain at 22, and in need of cash to buy his own boat, established himself as a model in New York, discovered by Paramount Studios talent scouts and offered a contract.

Sterling Hayden, the handsome tall blond actor who played wholesome leading-man movie roles in the 1940's and 1950's and later weathered into a rough-hewn solid character actor in films such as "Dr. Strangelove", "The Godfather," "Nine to Five" and "King of the Gypsies". He appeared in 71 feature films and tv-productions from the debut in "Virginia" 1941 to the tv mini-series "The Blue and the Gray" in 1982.

He wrote of his obsessive fascination with the sea in a 1963 autobiography, "Wanderer," and in 1970 his 700-page epic novel of the sea, "Voyage," was a main selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club.

Sterling Hayden appeared in the German documentary, "Pharos of Chaos," (1983) filmed aboard his barge in Europe, and seemed to be in an alcoholic stupor much of the time, supplementing his wine intake with hashish. On camera he said: "What confuses me is I ain't all that unhappy. So why do I drink, I don't know."

Alongside acting, Sterling Hayden is also known as a author. His screen credits lean toward Drama and Crime.

Sterling Hayden's most notable role to date came in The Godfather (1972), where he played Captain McCluskey. He also appeared in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) as Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper. Most recently appeared in The Killing (1956) as Johnny Clay.

Fans wanting to catch up on Sterling Hayden's work can find exactly where his shows and movies are streaming below — and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to keep track of them all. Just search the title, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers what you've already watched.

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📺 Sterling Hayden's TV Shows

Mario Puzo's The Godfather: The Complete Novel for Television
Capt. Mark McCluskey
1977
The Blue and the Gray
John Brown
1982

🎬 Sterling Hayden's Movies

The Godfather
Captain McCluskey
1972
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper
1964
The Killing
Johnny Clay
1956
Nine to Five
Russell Tinsworthy
1980
The Long Goodbye
Roger Wade
1973
1900
Leo Dalcò
1976
Valerie
John Garth
1957
The Asphalt Jungle
Dix Handley
1950

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