
Steve Railsback
Known for Acting · 89 credits
- Born
- 1945-11-16 (age 80)
- Place of birth
- Dallas, Texas, USA
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
TV Shows (13)

Supernatural
2005
as Joseph Welch

The Mentalist
2008
as Fred Kittel

The X-Files
1993
as Duane Barry

Charmed
1998
as Litvack

The Practice
1997
as Walter Dawson

The Twilight Zone
1985
as (segment "Dead Run")

Family Law
1999
as Gary Peres

Femme Fatales
2011
as Dr. Daniel Duryea

The Visitor
1997
as Colonel James Vise

Decker
2014
as Fictional General Cotter

From Here to Eternity
1979
as Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt

The Great Transport
1983
as Pavle Paroški

Helter Skelter
1976
as Charles Manson
Movies (76)

Lifeforce
1985
as Col. Tom Carlsen

American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
2009
as Alumnus Guy #5

In the Line of Fire
1993
as CIA Agent David Coppinger (uncredited)

Barb Wire
1996
as Colonel Pryzer

The Devil's Rejects
2005
as Sheriff Ken Dwyer

Scissors
1991
as Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan

Turkey Shoot
1982
as Paul Anders

Armed and Dangerous
1986
as The Cowboy

Disturbing Behavior
1998
as Officer Cox

Cockfighter
1974
as Junior

Save Me
1994
as Robbins

Neo Ned
2005
as Mr. Day

Vanishing Point
1997
as Sergeant Preston

Final Mission
1994
as Colonel Glen Anderson

Angela
1977
as Jean

The Forgotten
1989
as Lt. Jesse Brady

Storytelling
2001
as Mr. Kirk

Forever
1992
as William Desmond Taylor

Me and Will
1999
as Rob

Gone Are the Days
2018
as Jaden

Once Fallen
2010
as Aryan Boss

Scenes from the Goldmine
1987
as Harry Spiros

Helter Skelter
1976
as Charles Manson

Not Quite Hollywood
2008
as Self

The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting
2003
as Deputy Jessup (uncredited)

The Assassin
1990
as Hank Knight

Quake
1992
as Kyle

The Stunt Man
1980
as Cameron

Alligator 2: The Mutation
1991
as Vinnie Brown

Deadly Games
1982
as Billy Owens

Blue Monkey
1987
as Det. Jim Bishop

Made Men
1999
as Kyle

Intermedio
2005
as Old Man

Calendar Girl
1993
as Eddie Darpinian

King of the Lost World
2005
as Larry

The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
2020
as (archive footage)

UnConventional
2004
as Self

Ed Gein
2000
as Ed Gein

Deadly Intent
1988
as Jeff Kirkwood

Nukie
1987
as Dr. Eric Harvey

Private Wars
1993
as Jack Manning

Rest Stop: Don't Look Back
2008
as The Owner

Wild in Blue
2014
as Charlie's Father

Street Corner Justice
1996
as Sergeant Ryan Freeborn

Trick or Treats
1982
as Bret

Plaguers
2010
as Tarver

The Visitors
1972
as Mike Nickerson

Sunstroke
1992
as Biggs

Good Cops, Bad Cops
1990

Spearfield's Daughter
1986
as Tom Border

Termination Man
1998
as Dylan Pope

The Box
2003
as Jake Ragna

Infiltrators
2014
as Sebastian Koenig

Follow the Prophet
2009
as Senator Stanton

Ready or Not
2009
as Pilot

Torchlight
1984
as Jake Gregory

Bonds of Love
1993
as Ken Smith

The Cross of Iberia
1990
as Novak

AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
2020
as (archive footage)

Great Transport
1983
as Pavle Paroški

The Wind
1986
as Kesner

The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man
2000

Unspeakable: Beyond The Wall of Sleep
2024

The Survivalist
1987
as Jack Tillman

The Golden Seal
1983
as Jim Lee
Separated by Murder
1994
as Jesse Dixon

Slash
2002
as Jeremiah

Distortions
1987
as Scott Marshall

Zigs
2001
as Charlie

Stranger in the House
1997
as Jack Derby

Night Caller
2022
as Andrew Lubitz
Best Served Cold
as Himself

Pressure Point
1997
as Arno Taylor
The Making Of Lifeforce
1985
as Self

The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
1972
as Billy the Kid

H: The Story of a Teen-Age Drug Addict
1951
as Bill
About 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, directe… With 89 credits spanning from 1951 to 2024, Steve Railsback has appeared in 76 films and 13 TV shows.
Fans searching for Steve Railsback movies, Steve Railsback filmography, or the latest projects starring Steve Railsback can stream many of these titles on CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Steve Railsback Movies
- Lifeforce (1985) — as Col. Tom Carlsen
- American Pie Presents: The Book of Love (2009) — as Alumnus Guy #5
- In the Line of Fire (1993) — as CIA Agent David Coppinger (uncredited)
- Barb Wire (1996) — as Colonel Pryzer
- The Devil's Rejects (2005) — as Sheriff Ken Dwyer
Where to Watch Steve Railsback Films
Most Steve Railsback movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Steve Railsback, check our movies catalogue and browse page.