Steve Railsback
Known for: Acting
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.
Filmography
Series
The Mentalist
Fred Kittel
2008
Series
Supernatural
2005
Series
Supernatural
Joseph Welch
2005
Series
The X-Files
Duane Barry
1993
Series
Charmed
Litvack
1998
Series
The Practice
Walter Dawson
1997
Series
The Twilight Zone
(segment "Dead Run")
1985
Series
Family Law
Gary Peres
1999
Series
Decker
Fictional General Cotter
2014
Series
Femme Fatales
Dr. Daniel Duryea
2011
Series
The Visitor
Colonel James Vise
1997
Film
In the Line of Fire
CIA Agent David Coppinger (uncredited)
1993
Film
American Pie Presents: The Book of Love
Alumnus Guy #5
2009
Film
Lifeforce
Col. Tom Carlsen
1985
Series
From Here to Eternity
Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt
1979
Film
The Devil's Rejects
Sheriff Ken Dwyer
2005
Film
Barb Wire
Colonel Pryzer
1996
Film
Armed and Dangerous
The Cowboy
1986
Film
Turkey Shoot
Paul Anders
1982
Film
Disturbing Behavior
Officer Cox
1998
Film
The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting
Deputy Jessup (uncredited)
2003
Film
Storytelling
Mr. Kirk
2001
Film
The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault
(archive footage)
2020
Film
Good Cops, Bad Cops
1990
Film
Gone Are the Days
Jaden
2018
Film
Calendar Girl
Eddie Darpinian
1993
Film
Helter Skelter
Charles Manson
1976
Film
Scissors
Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan
1991
Film
Alligator 2: The Mutation
Vinnie Brown
1991
Film
Rest Stop: Don't Look Back
The Owner
2008
Film
Save Me
Robbins
1994
Film
Best Served Cold: How a Revenge Film was Buried for Decades
Himself
2026
Film
Blue Monkey
Det. Jim Bishop
1987
Film
Vanishing Point
Sergeant Preston
1997
Film
Once Fallen
Aryan Boss
2010
Film
King of the Lost World
Larry
2005
Film
The Stunt Man
Cameron
1980
Series
The Great Transport
Pavle Paroški
1983
Film
Me and Will
Rob
1999
Film
Stranger in the House
Jack Derby
1997
Film
Trick or Treats
Bret
1982
Film
Final Mission
Colonel Glen Anderson
1994
Film
Sunstroke
Biggs
1992
Film
Not Quite Hollywood
Self
2008
Film
Wild in Blue
Charlie's Father
2014
Film
Unspeakable: Beyond The Wall of Sleep
2024
Film
Angela
Jean
1977
Film
Ed Gein
Ed Gein
2000
Film
Made Men
Kyle
1999
Film
Scenes from the Goldmine
Harry Spiros
1987
Film
AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A.
(archive footage)
2020
Film
UnConventional
Self
2004
Film
The Wind
Kesner
1986
Film
Pressure Point
Arno Taylor
1997
Film
Slash
Jeremiah
2002
Film
The Forgotten
Lt. Jesse Brady
1989
Film
Neo Ned
Mr. Day
2005
Film
The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man
2000
Film
Spearfield's Daughter
Tom Border
1986
Series
Helter Skelter
Charles Manson
1976
Film
Street Corner Justice
Sergeant Ryan Freeborn
1996
Film
Torchlight
Jake Gregory
1984
Film
The Cross of Iberia
Novak
1990
Film
Nukie
Dr. Eric Harvey
1987
Film
The Visitors
Mike Nickerson
1972
Film
Cockfighter
Junior
1974
Film
Night Caller
Andrew Lubitz
2022
Film
Deadly Intent
Jeff Kirkwood
1988
Film
Deadly Games
Billy Owens
1982
Film
The Box
Jake Ragna
2003
Film
Private Wars
Jack Manning
1993
The Making Of Lifeforce
Self
1985
Film
Great Transport
Pavle Paroški
1983
Film
Intermedio
Old Man
2005
Film
The Survivalist
Jack Tillman
1987
Film
Ready or Not
Pilot
2009
Film
Bonds of Love
Ken Smith
1993
Film
Plaguers
Tarver
2010
Film
The Last Escape of Billy the Kid
Billy the Kid
1972
Film
Distortions
Scott Marshall
1987
Film
Forever
William Desmond Taylor
1992
Film
The Golden Seal
Jim Lee
1983
Film
Termination Man
Dylan Pope
1998
Separated by Murder
Jesse Dixon
1994
Film
Zigs
Charlie
2001
Film
Follow the Prophet
Senator Stanton
2009
Film
The Assassin
Hank Knight
1990
Film
Quake
Kyle
1992
Film
Infiltrators
Sebastian Koenig
2014
Film
H: The Story of a Teen-Age Drug Addict
Bill
1951