Person
William Sylvester
Oakland, California, USA
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 Odys…
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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.
Filmography
Movies and shows, newest first
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2013
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
Movie Sam Slade (archive footage)
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2001
2001: The Making of a Myth
Movie Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive footage) (uncredited)
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1995
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
Movie Self (archive footage)
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1980
First Family
Movie TV Commentator Howard
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1979
Big Shamus, Little Shamus
TV show
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1979
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
TV show Lt. General Preston Myers
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1978
Heaven Can Wait
Movie Nuclear Reporter
- 1977
- 1977
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1976
Quincy, M.E.
TV show Joe Crawford
-
1976
Gemini Man
TV show Leonard Driscoll
-
1976
Riding with Death
Movie Leonard Driscoll
-
1975
The Hindenburg
Movie Luftwaffe Colonel
-
1975
Switch
TV show Ellis
-
1974
Harry O
TV show
-
1974
Busting
Movie Mr. Weldman
More credits
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1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
TV show Frederick Collins
-
1973
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Movie Tom Henderson
-
1973
The Magician
TV show Peter Hayden
-
1972
Banacek
TV show Dr. Stahl
-
1971
Cannon
TV show
-
1970
San Francisco International Airport
TV show Colonel Wilkins
-
1970
The Lawyer
Movie Paul Harrison
-
1970
The Challengers
Movie Brad York
-
1970
McCloud
TV show
-
1969
Marcus Welby, M.D.
TV show Paul Berwick
-
1968
The Syndicate
Movie Burt Hickey
-
1968
The Hand of Night
Movie Paul Carver
-
1968
Red and Blue
Movie Trumpeter
-
1968
2001: A Space Odyssey
Movie Dr. Heywood Floyd
-
1967
The High Chaparral
TV show Jack Simmons
-
1967
You Only Live Twice
Movie Pentagon Official (uncredited)
-
1965
The F.B.I.
TV show Tom Barber
-
1965
Green Acres
TV show Dr. Hoffman
-
1965
The Troubleshooters
TV show Al Stevens
-
1965
Devils of Darkness
Movie Paul Baxter
-
1964
Devil Doll
Movie Mark English
-
1964
Ring of Spies
Movie Gordon Lonsdale
-
1964
Blind Corner
Movie Paul Gregory
-
1963
Incident at Midnight
Movie Vince Warren
