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William Sylvester
Actor
Born January 31, 1922Died January 25, 1995 (72 years)
William Sylvester (January 31, 1922 – January 25, 1995) was an American TV and film actor. His most famous film credit was Dr. Heywood Floyd in Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968). Born in Oakland, California and married at one time to the British actress Veronica Hurst, he moved to England after the Second World War and became a staple of British B films at a time when American and Canadian actors were much in demand in order to give indigenous films some appeal in the US.
As a result, he gained top billing in one of his very first films, House of Blackmail (1953), directed by the veteran filmmaker Maurice Elvey, for whom he also made What Every Woman Wants the following year. He also starred in such minor films as The Stranger Came Home (1954, for Hammer), Dublin Nightmare (1958), Offbeat (1960), Information Received (1961), Incident at Midnight, Ring of Spies and Blind Corner (all 1963). There were also lead roles in four British horror films: Gorgo (1960), Devil Doll (1963), Devils of Darkness (1964) and The Hand of Night (1966). Among his many TV credits were a 1959 BBC version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (playing Mark Antony), The Saint, The Baron, The High Chaparral, Harry O and The Six Million Dollar Man.
His later films included You Only Live Twice (1967) and, back in the USA after his prominent role for Kubrick, Busting (1973), The Hindenburg (1975) and Heaven Can Wait (1978). He died in Sacramento, California in 1995, aged 72.
As a result, he gained top billing in one of his very first films, House of Blackmail (1953), directed by the veteran filmmaker Maurice Elvey, for whom he also made What Every Woman Wants the following year. He also starred in such minor films as The Stranger Came Home (1954, for Hammer), Dublin Nightmare (1958), Offbeat (1960), Information Received (1961), Incident at Midnight, Ring of Spies and Blind Corner (all 1963). There were also lead roles in four British horror films: Gorgo (1960), Devil Doll (1963), Devils of Darkness (1964) and The Hand of Night (1966). Among his many TV credits were a 1959 BBC version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (playing Mark Antony), The Saint, The Baron, The High Chaparral, Harry O and The Six Million Dollar Man.
His later films included You Only Live Twice (1967) and, back in the USA after his prominent role for Kubrick, Busting (1973), The Hindenburg (1975) and Heaven Can Wait (1978). He died in Sacramento, California in 1995, aged 72.
Known For
Filmography
| 2001 | 2001: The Making of a Myth · as Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 1980 | First Family · as Tv Commentator Howard |
| 1979 | Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (TV Series) · as Lt. General Preston Myers |
| 1978 | B.J. and the Bear (TV Series) · as Mr. Barclay |
| 1978 | Heaven Can Wait · as Nuclear Reporter |
| 1977 | What Really Happened to the Class of '65? (TV Series) |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV Series) |
| 1976 | Quincy, M.E. (TV Series) · as Joe Crawford |
| 1976 | Gemini Man (TV Series) · as Leonard Driscoll |
| 1976 | Riding with Death · as Leonard Driscoll |
| 1975 | The Hindenburg · as Luftwaffe Colonel |
| 1975 | |
| 1975 | Switch (TV Series) · as Ellis |
| 1975 | Caribe (TV Series) · as Inspector Morane |
| 1974 | Get Christie Love (TV Series) · as Gleason |
| 1974 | Busting · as Mr. Weldman |
| 1974 | The Six Million Dollar Man (TV Series) · as Admiral Prescott |
| 1973 | Don't Be Afraid of the Dark · as Tom Henderson |
| 1973 | The Magician (TV Series) · as Peter Hayden |
| 1973 | Harry O (TV Series) |
| 1972 | Banacek (TV Series) · as Dr. Stahl |
| 1971 | Cannon (TV Series) |
| 1970 | San Francisco International Airport (TV Series) · as Colonel Wilkins |
| 1970 | The Lawyer · as Paul Harrison |
| 1970 | McCloud (TV Series) |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) · as Paul Berwick |
| 1968 | The Syndicate · as Burt Hickey |
| 1968 | Beast of Morocco · as Paul Carver |
| 1968 | 2001: A Space Odyssey · as Dr. Heywood Floyd |
| 1967 | The High Chaparral (TV Series) · as Jack Simmons |
| 1967 | You Only Live Twice · as Pentagon Official |
| 1966 | The Baron (TV Series) · as Nick |
| 1965 | The F.B.I. (TV Series) · as Tom Barber |
| 1965 | Green Acres (TV Series) |
| 1965 | The Troubleshooters (TV Series) · as Al Stevens |
| 1965 | Devils of Darkness · as Paul Baxter |
| 1964 | Man in the Dark · as Paul Gregory |
| 1964 | Devil Doll · as Mark English |
| 1964 | Ring of Treason · as Gordon Lonsdale |
| 1963 | The Sentimental Agent (TV Series) |
| 1963 | Incident at Midnight · as Vince Warren |
| 1962 | |
| 1961 | Ghost Squad (TV Series) · as Stephen Brett |
| 1961 | Information Received · as Rick Hogan |
| 1961 | Drama 61-67 (TV Series) · as Mark Lander |
| 1961 | |
| 1961 | The Devil Inside · as Layton / Steve Ross |
| 1960 | Danger Man (TV Series) · as James Carpenter |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | Whirlpool · as Hermann |
| 1959 | The Edgar Wallace Mysteries (TV Series) · as Vince Warren |
| 1958 | Dublin Nightmare · as John Kevin |
| 1957 | Television World Theatre (TV Series) · as Dr. Edmund 'ned' Darrell |
| 1957 | High Tide at Noon · as Alec Douglas |
| 1957 | Emergency-Ward 10 (TV Series) · as Mr. Simmons |
| 1956 | Armchair Theatre (TV Series) · as Ed Norman |
| 1955 | Postmark for Danger · as Dave Forrester |
| 1955 | ITV Play of the Week (TV Series) · as Ben Hubbard |
| 1955 | ITV Television Playhouse (TV Series) · as Judson |
| 1954 | Lassie (TV Series) · as Captain Matt Taylor |
| 1954 | The Unholy Four · as Philip Vickers |
| 1954 | What Every Woman Wants · as Jim Barnes |
| 1953 | Break to Freedom · as Texas |
| 1953 | House of Blackmail · as Jimmy |
| 1953 | Raiders in the Sky · as Mac |
| 1953 | The Yellow Balloon · as Len Turner |
| 1953 | Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Presents (TV Series) · as Henry Jefferson |
| 1950 | They Were Not Divided · as American Soldier (uncredited) |
| 1950 | Sunday Night Theatre (TV Series) · as Dr. David Coleman |
| 1949 | Give Us This Day · as Giovanni |