# 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.

## Career

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
### Film

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1972 | The Visitors | Mike Nickerson | |
| 1974 | Cockfighter | Junior | |
| 1976 | Helter Skelter | Charles Manson | |
| 1978 | Angela | Jean Lebrecque | |
| 1979 | From Here to Eternity | Private Robert E. Lee Prewitt | |
| 1980 | The Stunt Man | Cameron | |
| 1982 | Deadly Games | Billy Owens | |
| 1982 | Trick or Treats | The Boyfriend | |
| 1982 | Turkey Shoot | Paul Anders | |
| 1983 | The Golden Seal | Jim Lee | |
| 1983 | Veliki transport | Pavle Paroški | |
| 1985 | Lifeforce | Colonel Tom Carlsen | |
| 1985 | Torchlight | Jake Gregory | |
| 1986 | Armed and Dangerous | The Cowboy | |
| 1986 | Spearfield's Daughter | Tom Border |
| 1986 | The Wind | Kesner | |
| 1987 | Scenes from the Goldmine | Harry Spiros | |
| 1987 | Distortions | Scott Marshall | |
| 1987 | The Survivalist | Jack Tillman | |
| 1987 | Blue Monkey | Detective Jim Bishop | |
| 1987 | Nukie | Dr. Eric Harvey | |
| 1988 | Deadly Intent | Jeff Kirkwood | |
| 1989 | The Assassin | Hank Knight | |
| 1990 | La Cruz de Iberia | Novak | |
| 1991 | Alligator II: The Mutation | Vincent Brown | |
| 1991 | Scissors | Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan | |
| 1992 | Forever | William Desmond Taylor | |
| 1993 | Quake | Kyle | |
| 1993 | Private Wars | Jack Manning | |
| 1993 | Bonds of Love | Ken Smith | Television film |
| 1993 | Final Mission | Colonel Anderson | |
| 1993 | Save Me | Robbins | |
| 1993 | Calendar Girl | Roy's Father | |
| 1993 | In the Line of Fire | David Coppinger | uncredited |
| 1996 | Street Corner Justice | Sergeant Ryan Freeborn | |
| 1996 | Barb Wire | Colonel Victor Pryzer | |
| 1997 | Stranger in the House | Jack Derby | |
| 1997 | Pressure Point | Arno Taylor | |
| 1997 | Vanishing Point | Sergeant Preston | |
| 1998 | Disturbing Behavior | Officer Cox | |
| 1999 | Me and Will | Rob | |
| 1999 | Made Men | Kyle | |
| 2000 | Say Goodnight, Michael | Actor | |
| 2000 | Termination Man | Dylan Pope | |
| 2000 | In the Light of the Moon | Ed Gein | |
| 2001 | Storytelling | Mr. Kirk | |
| 2001 | Double Down | Charlie | |
| 2002 | Slash | Jeremiah | |
| 2003 | The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting | Deputy Jessup | uncredited |
| 2003 | The Box | Jake Ragna | |
| 2005 | Neo Ned | Mr. Day | |
| 2005 | Intermedio | Old Man | |
| 2005 | The Devil's Rejects | Sheriff Ken Dwyer | uncredited |
| 2005 | King of the Lost World | Larry | |
| 2008 | Follow the Profit | Senator Stanton | |
| 2008 | Plaguers | Tarver | |
| 2008 | Ready or Not | Pilot | |
| 2008 | Rest Stop: Don't Look Back | Store Clerk | |
| 2018 | Gone Are the Days | Jaden | |

### Television

| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1985 | The Hitchhiker | Mickey | Episode: "Petty Thieves" |
| 1986 | The Twilight Zone | Johnny Davis | Episode: "Dead Run" |
| 1991 | The Young Riders | Tyler | Episode: "The Peacemakers" |
| 1994 | The X-Files | Duane Barry | 2 episodes: s02e05 "Duane Barry" and s02e06 "Ascension" |
| 1995 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Jerry Lee Stark | Episode: "The Guardians" |
| 1997–1998 | The Visitor | Colonel James Vise | 13 episodes |
| 2000 | Charmed | Litvack | Episode: "Give Me a Sign" |
| 2001 | The Practice | Walter Dawson | Episode: "Killing Time" |
| 2002 | Family Law | Gary Peres | Episode: "Children of a Lesser Dad" |
| 2002 | The District | Charles "Chip" Renson | Episode: "Free-Fire Zone" |
| 2004 | The Handler | Harley Aimes | Episode: "Give Daddy Some Sugar" |
| 2005 | Kojak | Edward Sawyer | Episode: "All Bets Off: Part 2" |
| 2005 | Supernatural | Joseph Welch | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 2010 | The Mentalist | Kittel | Episode: "Ball of Fire" |
| 2012 | Femme Fatales | Doctor Daniel Duryea | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Deadtime Stories | Owen | Episode: "Invasion of the Appleheads" |
| 2017 | Decker | Fictional General Cotter | Episode: "Same Old Glory" |