Person Details

Birthday:

Aliases: William R. Sylvester

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Oakland, California, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 32

TV Involvements: 7


Most Famous Work

Biography

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.

Most Famous Work

The High Chaparral
Average
6

The High Chaparral

(1967) Lafe Croswell
2001: A Space Odyssey
Average
8

2001: A Space Odyssey

(1968) Dr. Heywood Floyd
The Saint
Average
7

The Saint

(1962) Foots Fortunati
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Average
7

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

(1979) Lt. General Preston Myers
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Average
7

Marcus Welby, M.D.

(1969) Paul Berwick
The Hindenburg
Average
6

The Hindenburg

(1975) Luftwaffe Colonel
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Average
6

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

(1973) Tom Henderson
Gorgo
Average
6

Gorgo

(1961) Sam Slade

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2013 Sam Slade (archive footage)
2001 Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive footage) (uncredited)
1980 TV Interviewer
1979 N/A
Lt. General Preston Myers
1978 Nuclear Reporter
1977 N/A
N/A
1976 N/A
Leonard Driscoll
Leonard Driscoll
1975 Luftwaffe Colonel
N/A
1974 N/A
Mr. Weldman
1973 Tom Henderson
1971 N/A
1970 Paul Harrison
Brad York
N/A
1969 Paul Berwick
1968 Burt Hickey
Paul Carver
Trumpeter
Dr. Heywood Floyd
1967 Jack Simmons
Lafe Croswell
1965 Tom Barber
N/A
Paul Baxter
1964 Mark English
Gordon Lonsdale
Paul Gregory
1963 N/A
Vince Warren
1962 Foots Fortunati
1961 Rick Hogan
Sam Slade
Layton / Steve Ross
1959 Hermann
1958 John Kevin
1957 Alec Douglas
1955 Dave Forrester
1954 Philip Vickers
Jim Barnes
1953 Texas
Jimmy
Mac
Len Turner
1950 American Soldier (uncredited)
1949 Giovanni
Year Character Movie/Tv

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