William Sylvester
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jan 31, 1922
- Died
- Jan 25, 1995 (aged 72)
- Place of birth
- Oakland, California, USA
- Credits
- 60
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
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968Movie
Dr. Heywood Floyd
You Only Live Twice
1967Movie
Pentagon Official (uncredited)
Heaven Can Wait
1978Movie
Nuclear Reporter
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974TV
Frederick Collins, Admiral Prescott
The Hindenburg
1975Movie
Luftwaffe Colonel
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979TV
Lt. General Preston Myers
Filmography
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
2013Movie
Sam Slade (archive footage)
2001: The Making of a Myth
2001Movie
Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive footage) (uncredited)
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
1995Movie
Self (archive footage)
First Family
1980Movie
TV Commentator Howard
Big Shamus, Little Shamus
1979TV
Nelson Milgrim
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979TV
Lt. General Preston Myers
Heaven Can Wait
1978Movie
Nuclear Reporter
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
1977TV
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
1977TV
Quincy, M.E.
1976TV
Joe Crawford
Gemini Man
1976TV
Leonard Driscoll
Riding with Death
1976Movie
Leonard Driscoll
The Hindenburg
1975Movie
Luftwaffe Colonel
Switch
1975TV
Ellis
Harry O
1974TV
Busting
1974Movie
Mr. Weldman
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974TV
Frederick Collins, Admiral Prescott
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
1973Movie
Tom Henderson
The Magician
1973TV
Peter Hayden
Banacek
1972TV
Dr. Stahl
Cannon
1971TV
San Francisco International Airport
1970TV
Colonel Wilkins
The Lawyer
1970Movie
Paul Harrison
The Challengers
1970Movie
Brad York
McCloud
1970TV
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969TV
Paul Berwick
The Syndicate
1968Movie
Burt Hickey
The Hand of Night
1968Movie
Paul Carver
Red and Blue
1968Movie
Trumpeter
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968Movie
Dr. Heywood Floyd
The High Chaparral
1967TV
Jack Simmons, Lafe Croswell
You Only Live Twice
1967Movie
Pentagon Official (uncredited)
The F.B.I.
1965TV
Tom Barber
Green Acres
1965TV
Dr. Hoffman
The Troubleshooters
1965TV
Al Stevens
Devils of Darkness
1965Movie
Paul Baxter
Devil Doll
1964Movie
Mark English
Ring of Spies
1964Movie
Gordon Lonsdale
Blind Corner
1964Movie
Paul Gregory
Incident at Midnight
1963Movie
Vince Warren
The Saint
1962TV
Foots Fortunati, Ralph Damien
Information Received
1961Movie
Rick Hogan
Drama 61-67
1961TV
Mark Lander
Gorgo
1961Movie
Sam Slade
Offbeat
1961Movie
Layton / Steve Ross
Danger Man
1960TV
James Carpenter / Oscar Schumak
Whirlpool
1959Movie
Hermann
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
1958Movie
Dublin Nightmare
1958Movie
John Kevin
High Tide at Noon
1957Movie
Alec Douglas
Armchair Theatre
1956TV
Ed Norman, Sergeant O'Hara
Portrait of Alison
1955Movie
Dave Forrester
The Unholy Four
1954Movie
Philip Vickers
What Every Woman Wants
1954Movie
Jim Barnes
Albert R.N.
1953Movie
Texas
House of Blackmail
1953Movie
Jimmy
Appointment in London
1953Movie
Mac
The Yellow Balloon
1953Movie
Len Turner
They Were Not Divided
1950Movie
American Soldier (uncredited)
Give Us This Day
1949Movie
Giovanni