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Steve Railsback

Steve Railsback

Actor, also producer and director · Born November 16, 1945 (80) · Dallas, Texas, USA

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.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 16, 1945 (80)
From
Dallas, Texas, USA
Works as
Actor, also producer and director
Titles
51 on MovieCove · 88 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

What are Steve Railsback's films like?

Across their 36 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Morality.

Genres

Horror10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 8th percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Action9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 37th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 25th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 57th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Mystery2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 14th percentile
: browse their Mystery movies
Thriller2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Thriller movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
26%
Morality
21%
Power
16%
Self
16%
Bonds
11%
Ideas
6%
Society
4%
Survival14 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds5 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeGreed5 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma5 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 36 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 13 · Serious 11 · Dark 12

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 23 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 5

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 5 · Charged 17 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 13 · Shifting 21 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 24 · Some laughs 11 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 16 · Even-paced 19 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 18 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 18 · Affecting 8 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 20 · Open-ended 12 · Ambiguous 4

Roles they play

22 analyzed roles

Usually the Shadow: 10 of 22 analyzed roles.

Shadow
10 of 22
Hero
5 of 22
Ally
2 of 22
Herald
1 of 22
Shapeshifter
1 of 22
Trickster
1 of 22
Threshold guardian
1 of 22
Mentor
1 of 22
Show the 22 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
30
Dread
15
Thrilling
9
Melancholic
8
Absurd
6
Other
24

How their films linger

Unsettling18 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 7 with a twist

  • Happy9
  • Bittersweet15
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous9

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Steve Railsback's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 31 of their 51 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (23).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Steve Railsback's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

88 credits, 51 with a MovieCove page; 4 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Unspeakable: Beyond the Wall of Sleep(2024)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • Night Caller(2021)

    as Andrew Lubitz

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • AGFA Mystery Mixtape #2: Later in L.A. (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as (archive footage)

  • The AGFA Mystery Mixtape Vault (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    as (archive footage)

  • Gone Are the Days(2018)

    as Jaden

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Infiltrators (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Sebastian Koenig

  • Decker(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Fictional General Cotter

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all shows

  • Wild in Blue(2015)

    as Charlie's Father

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Femme Fatales (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    Show 3 episodes · as Dr. Daniel Duryea

  • Once Fallen(2010)

    as Aryan Boss

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Plaguers(2008)

    as Tarver

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • American Pie Presents: The Book of Love(2009)

    as Alumnus Guy #5

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • Follow the Prophet(2009)

    as Senator Stanton

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Ready or Not (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Pilot

  • Rest Stop: Don't Look Back(2008)

    as The Owner

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Mentalist(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Fred Kittel

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • King of the Lost World(2005)

    as Larry

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Supernatural(2005)

    Show 1 episode · as Joseph Welch

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • The Devil's Rejects(2005)

    as Sheriff Ken Dwyer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Neo Ned (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Mr. Day

  • Intermedio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Old Man

  • The Hitcher II: I've Been Waiting(2003)

    as Deputy Jessup (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films

  • The Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    as Jake Ragna

  • Slash (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Jeremiah

  • Storytelling(2001)

    as Mr. Kirk

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Zigs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Charlie

  • Ed Gein(2000)

    Executive Producer · as Ed Gein

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Actor

  • Family Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Show 1 episode · as Gary Peres

  • Me and Will(1999)

    as Rob

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Made Men(1999)

    as Kyle

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Charmed(1998)

    Show 1 episode · as Litvack

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Disturbing Behavior(1998)

    as Officer Cox

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Termination Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Dylan Pope

  • Pressure Point (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Arno Taylor

  • The Visitor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 13 episodes · as Colonel James Vise

  • The Practice(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Walter Dawson

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all shows

  • Vanishing Point(1997)

    as Sergeant Preston

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Stranger in the House(1997)

    as Jack Derby

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Street Corner Justice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    as Sergeant Ryan Freeborn

  • Barb Wire(1996)

    as Colonel Pryzer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • The Stars Fell on Henrietta(1995)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Final Mission(1994)

    as Colonel Glen Anderson

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • The Spy Within(1995)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Terminal Voyage(1995)

    Second Unit Director

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Separated by Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Jesse Dixon

  • Save Me(1994)

    as Robbins

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Private Wars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Jack Manning

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 2 episodes · as Duane Barry

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Calendar Girl(1993)

    as Eddie Darpinian

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • In the Line of Fire(1993)

    as CIA Agent David Coppinger (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Bonds of Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as Ken Smith

  • Sunstroke(1992)

    as Biggs

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Quake (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Kyle

  • Forever(1992)

    as William Desmond Taylor

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Alligator II: The Mutation(1991)

    as Vinnie Brown

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Scissors(1991)

    as Alex Morgan / Cole Morgan

    Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films

  • Good Cops, Bad Cops(1990)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • The Assassin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Hank Knight

  • The Cross of Iberia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Novak

  • The Forgotten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Lt. Jesse Brady

  • Deadly Intent(1988)

    as Jeff Kirkwood

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Blue Monkey(1987)

    as Det. Jim Bishop

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Scenes from the Goldmine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Harry Spiros

  • Nukie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Dr. Eric Harvey

  • Distortions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Scott Marshall

  • The Survivalist (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Jack Tillman

  • The Wind(1986)

    as Kesner

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Armed and Dangerous(1986)

    as The Cowboy

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Spearfield's Daughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1986)

    as Tom Border

  • The Twilight Zone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · as (segment "Dead Run")

  • Lifeforce(1985)

    as Col. Tom Carlsen

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Torchlight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Jake Gregory

  • The Golden Seal(1983)

    as Jim Lee

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Great Transport (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    as Pavle Paroški

  • The Great Transport (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Show 1 episode · as Pavle Paroški

  • Trick or Treats(1982)

    as Bret

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Deadly Games(1982)

    as Billy Owens

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Turkey Shoot(1982)

    as Paul Anders

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Stunt Man(1980)

    as Cameron

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • From Here to Eternity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Show 3 episodes · as Pvt. Robert E. Lee Prewitt

  • Angela(1977)

    as Jean

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Helter Skelter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    as Charles Manson

  • Helter Skelter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 2 episodes · as Charles Manson

  • Cockfighter(1974)

    as Junior

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Visitors(1972)

    as Mike Nickerson

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Last Escape of Billy the Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    as Billy the Kid

  • H: The Story of a Teen-Age Drug Addict (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Bill

Career shape

Star power in the 98th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 87 titles from 1951 to 2024; peak year 1986.

Biggest box office

Disturbing Behavior (1998)

$18M worldwide

Highest rated

The Stunt Man (1980)

Midcredits 78th

Most popular right now

Lifeforce (1985)

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19512024

Peak 1986 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 8 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting85 of 87: 83 only acting, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score21stDirecting1 of 87: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting1 of 87: 0 only writing, 1 with another roleProducing2 of 87: 0 only producing, 2 with another roleOther crew1 of 87: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · acting1970s7 · acting1980s20 · 20 acting · 1 crew1990s31 · 29 acting · 2 crew2000s17 · 17 acting · 1 crew2010s7 · acting2020s4 · acting

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 19% of 31 roles
72879707

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Steve Railsback's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 17th percentile, the median of all 45; across their 35 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 20th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

20thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Approval · how many liked their films

15thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Reach · how many have seen their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 35

Midcredits score across 51 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th27

Shape of the crowd

29 of their 51 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Universally Panned7
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser8
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed29

Most divisive · actor

Follow the Prophet (2009)

94th percentile spread · 23% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

In the Line of Fire (1993)

Midcredits 88th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the acting 54/100 in their films, across 34 reviewed titles; fans 69, detractors 35. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Steve Railsback's work okay for kids?

Across up to 12 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore6 titles47–85 · median 68 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity12 titles29–69 · median 50 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles46–63 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs5 titles25–54 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 62 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Steve Railsback work with?

People who share at least 2 of Steve Railsback's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; James Keach shares the most, 4.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers