Acting
William Sylvester
Born Jan 31, 1922 · Oakland, California, USA · Died Jan 25, 1995
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.
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Acting
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013
Horror · Documentary
2001: The Making of a Myth
2001
Documentary · TV Movie
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
1995
Documentary
First Family
1980
Comedy
Big Shamus, Little Shamus
1979
Drama
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
Action & Adventure · Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Heaven Can Wait
1978
Fantasy · Comedy · Romance
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
1977
Drama
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
Mystery · Action & Adventure
Quincy, M.E.
1976
Crime · Drama · Mystery
Gemini Man
1976
Action & Adventure · Drama
Riding with Death
1976
Science Fiction · TV Movie · Action
The Hindenburg
1975
History · Thriller · Drama
Switch
1975
Action & Adventure · Drama
Harry O
1974
Drama · Action & Adventure
Busting
1974
Crime · Drama · Action
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974
Sci-Fi & Fantasy · Action & Adventure · Drama
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
1973
Horror · TV Movie
The Magician
1973
Drama · Action & Adventure
Banacek
1972
Crime · Drama · Mystery
Cannon
1971
Drama · Action & Adventure
San Francisco International Airport
1970
Drama
The Lawyer
1970
Crime · Mystery · Drama
The Challengers
1970
TV Movie · Drama · Action
McCloud
1970
Crime · Drama
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969
Drama
The Syndicate
1968
Adventure
The Hand of Night
1968
Horror
Red and Blue
1968
Music
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968
Science Fiction · Mystery · Adventure
The High Chaparral
1967
Western · Drama
You Only Live Twice
1967
Action · Thriller · Adventure
The F.B.I.
1965
Crime · Drama · Mystery
Green Acres
1965
Comedy
The Troubleshooters
1965
Drama
Devils of Darkness
1965
Horror
Devil Doll
1964
Horror · Mystery
Ring of Spies
1964
Drama · Crime · Thriller
Blind Corner
1964
Crime · Drama
Incident at Midnight
1963
Crime
The Saint
1962
Action & Adventure · Crime · Drama
Information Received
1961
Crime · Drama
Gorgo
1961
Science Fiction · Action · Horror
Offbeat
1961
Crime
Danger Man
1960
Action & Adventure · Drama
Whirlpool
1959
Drama · Crime
Dublin Nightmare
1958
Crime
High Tide at Noon
1957
Drama · Romance
Armchair Theatre
1956
Drama
Portrait of Alison
1955
Crime · Drama · Mystery
The Unholy Four
1954
Mystery · Drama · Crime
What Every Woman Wants
1954
Drama
Albert R.N.
1953
War · History
House of Blackmail
1953
Drama
Appointment in London
1953
War · Drama
The Yellow Balloon
1953
Thriller · Crime · Drama
They Were Not Divided
1950
War
Give Us This Day
1949
Drama