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Known for his dangerous, chameleon-like performances and possessing one of the most intimidating pairs of eyes in the industry, Steve Railsback has captivated audiences over the years with a variety of strange, often twisted roles in both film and television. Though he never reached the level of stardom he deserved, like the equally notorious and unpredictable Dennis Hopper, he consistently draws attention regardless of the quality of the material.
Born on November 16, 1945, in Dallas, Texas, Railsback was raised in Wichita Falls. His interest in acting was sparked at age seven when he took part in a local college production of "Cinderella." After finishing high school, he worked as a shoe salesman, eventually earning enough to move from Texas to New York in 1967 to pursue acting.
Studying under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Railsback initially supported himself with menial jobs but soon became a regular presence in the New York theater scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s, performing in productions like "The Bluebird," "Orpheus Descending," and "This Property Is Condemned." While training at the Studio, he caught the eye of famed director Elia Kazan, who recognized his potential and cast him in a prominent role in the low-budget film The Visitors (1972). Railsback then returned to the stage, appearing in "The Petrified Forest," "One Sunday Afternoon," and "The Cherry Orchard," before making his Broadway debut in 1975 in the short-lived José Quintero-directed production of "The Skin of Our Teeth," starring Elizabeth Ashley.
After a second film role alongside James Woods in Cockfighter (1974) and the lead in the PBS project Charlie Siringo (1976), Railsback delivered one of the most striking lead performances in a miniseries as cult leader and mass murderer Charles Manson in Helter Skelter (1976). Although overlooked at the Emmys, Hollywood took notice of this electrifying actor. Largely due to Railsback’s performance, Helter Skelter became the highest-rated television movie until Roots (1977) surpassed it the next year.
To avoid being pigeonholed as a "psycho," Railsback balanced this notorious role with a more sympathetic portrayal in the miniseries From Here to Eternity (1979), playing Pvt. Robert E. Lee Pruitt, a role famously associated with Montgomery Clift, and making it his own. His next significant film part was as a fugitive who stumbles upon a movie set in the darkly comic and inventive The Stunt Man (1980), starring alongside the compelling Peter O’Toole, confirming that his portrayal of Manson was no accident.
Throughout the 1980s, Railsback took on diverse, unconventional roles across genres, though often in productions lacking strong backing. Films included the mystery Deadly Games (1982); Australian sci-fi thriller Turkey Shoot (1982); horror movie Trick or Treats (1982); animal adventure The Golden Seal (1983); cocaine drama Torchlight (1984); the unusual British sci-fi horror Lifeforce (1985); action comedy Armed and Dangerous (1986) with John Candy and Eugene Levy; rock drama Scenes from the Goldmine (1987); and the lesser-known thriller dramas Distortions (1987), The Survivalist (1987), and Nukie (1987). Frequently, his unique talents were underutilized.
While spending some time in quirky, low-budget, or direct-to-video projects, Railsback also explored writing, producing, and directing, notably with the Vietnam POW drama The Forgotten (1989). At the turn of the millennium, he returned to prominence with a powerful portrayal of another disturbed figure, serial killer Ed Gein, in Ed Gein (2000), a film he also executive produced, reaffirming his mastery of unconventional roles.
Since then, Railsback has appeared mainly in smaller film roles, including Zigs (2001), Slash (2002), Neo Ned (2005), King of the Lost World (2005), Plaguers (2008), Ready or Not (2009), Follow the Prophet (2009), Infiltrators (2014), Wild in Blue (2015), Gone Are the Days (2018), and It Wants Blood! (2019). On television, he has made occasional guest appearances suited to his offbeat style on series such as "The Practice," "Family Law," "The District," "The Handler," "Supernatural," "The Mentalist," "Femme Fatales," and "Decker.
