William Sylvester
Known for Acting · 60 credits
- Born
- 1922-01-31
- Died
- 1995-01-25
- Place of birth
- Oakland, California, USA
- Also known as
- William R. Sylvester
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.
Known For
TV Shows (23)
Quincy, M.E.
1976
as Joe Crawford
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974
as Frederick Collins / Admiral Prescott
The Saint
1962
as Foots Fortunati / Ralph Damien
The F.B.I.
1965
as Tom Barber
Cannon
1971
Green Acres
1965
as Dr. Hoffman
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969
as Paul Berwick
The High Chaparral
1967
as Jack Simmons / Lafe Croswell
McCloud
1970
Switch
1975
as Ellis
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
as Lt. General Preston Myers
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977
Danger Man
1960
as James Carpenter / Oscar Schumak
Harry O
1974
Banacek
1972
as Dr. Stahl
The Troubleshooters
1965
as Al Stevens
Drama 61-67
1961
as Mark Lander
The Magician
1973
as Peter Hayden
Gemini Man
1976
as Leonard Driscoll
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
1977
Big Shamus, Little Shamus
1979
Armchair Theatre
1956
as Ed Norman / Sergeant O'Hara
San Francisco International Airport
1970
as Colonel Wilkins
Movies (37)
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968
as Dr. Heywood Floyd
You Only Live Twice
1967
as Pentagon Official (uncredited)
Heaven Can Wait
1978
as Nuclear Reporter
The Stranger Came Home
1954
as Philip Vickers
The Hindenburg
1975
as Luftwaffe Colonel
House of Blackmail
1953
as Jimmy
Busting
1974
as Mr. Weldman
First Family
1980
as TV Commentator Howard
They Were Not Divided
1950
as American Soldier (uncredited)
Gorgo
1961
as Sam Slade
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
1973
as Tom Henderson
Red and Blue
1968
as Trumpeter
Appointment in London
1953
as Mac
2001: The Making of a Myth
2001
as Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ring of Spies
1964
as Gordon Lonsdale
Riding with Death
1976
as Leonard Driscoll
The Lawyer
1970
as Paul Harrison
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
1995
as Self (archive footage)
The Challengers
1970
as Brad York
High Tide at Noon
1957
as Alec Douglas
Information Received
1961
as Rick Hogan
Devils of Darkness
1965
as Paul Baxter
The Hand of Night
1968
as Paul Carver
Give Us This Day
1949
as Giovanni
What Every Woman Wants
1954
as Jim Barnes
Devil Doll
1964
as Mark English
Albert R.N.
1953
as Texas
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
1958
Whirlpool
1959
as Hermann
Incident at Midnight
1963
as Vince Warren
Portrait of Alison
1955
as Dave Forrester
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013
as Sam Slade (archive footage)
Offbeat
1961
as Layton / Steve Ross
The Yellow Balloon
1953
as Len Turner
Dublin Nightmare
1958
as John Kevin
The Syndicate
1968
as Burt Hickey
Blind Corner
1964
as Paul Gregory
About William Sylvester
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… With 60 credits spanning from 1949 to 2013, William Sylvester has appeared in 37 films and 23 TV shows.
Fans searching for William Sylvester movies, William Sylvester filmography, or the latest projects starring William Sylvester can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular William Sylvester Movies
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) — as Dr. Heywood Floyd
- You Only Live Twice (1967) — as Pentagon Official (uncredited)
- Heaven Can Wait (1978) — as Nuclear Reporter
- The Stranger Came Home (1954) — as Philip Vickers
- The Hindenburg (1975) — as Luftwaffe Colonel
Where to Watch William Sylvester Films
Most William Sylvester movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring William Sylvester, check our movies catalogue and browse page.