William Sylvester
Born
January 31, 1922
Died
January 25, 1995 (72 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
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 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
The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'
Sam Slade (archive footage)
2013
2001: The Making of a Myth
Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive footage) (uncredited)
2001
Roger Moore: A Matter of Class
Self (archive footage)
1995
First Family
TV Commentator Howard
1980
Big Shamus, Little Shamus
(1 episode)
1979
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Lt. General Preston Myers · (1 episode)
1979
Heaven Can Wait
Nuclear Reporter
1978
What Really Happened to the Class of '65?
(1 episode)
1977
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
(1 episode)
1977
Quincy, M.E.
Joe Crawford · (4 episodes)
1976
Gemini Man
Leonard Driscoll · (6 episodes)
1976
Riding with Death
Leonard Driscoll
1976
The Hindenburg
Luftwaffe Colonel
1975
Switch
Ellis · (1 episode)
1975
Harry O
(2 episodes)
1974
Busting
Mr. Weldman
1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
Frederick Collins · (1 episode)
1974
The Six Million Dollar Man
Admiral Prescott · (3 episodes)
1974
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark
Tom Henderson
1973
The Magician
Peter Hayden · (1 episode)
1973
Banacek
Dr. Stahl · (1 episode)
1972
Cannon
(1 episode)
1971
The Lawyer
Paul Harrison
1970
The Challengers
Brad York
1970
McCloud
(1 episode)
1970
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Paul Berwick · (1 episode)
1969
The Syndicate
Burt Hickey
1968
The Hand of Night
Paul Carver
1968
Red and Blue
Trumpeter
1968
2001: A Space Odyssey
Dr. Heywood Floyd
1968
The High Chaparral
Jack Simmons · (1 episode)
1967
The High Chaparral
Lafe Croswell · (1 episode)
1967
The F.B.I.
Tom Barber · (1 episode)
1965
Green Acres
(4 episodes)
1965
Devils of Darkness
Paul Baxter
1965
Devil Doll
Mark English
1964
Ring of Spies
Gordon Lonsdale
1964
Blind Corner
Paul Gregory
1964
The Sentimental Agent
(1 episode)
1963
Incident at Midnight
Vince Warren
1963
The Saint
Foots Fortunati · (1 episode)
1962
The Saint
Ralph Damien · (1 episode)
1962
Information Received
Rick Hogan
1961
Gorgo
Sam Slade
1961
Offbeat
Layton / Steve Ross
1961
Whirlpool
Hermann
1959
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
1958
Dublin Nightmare
John Kevin
1958
High Tide at Noon
Alec Douglas
1957
Portrait of Alison
Dave Forrester
1955
The Stranger Came Home
Philip Vickers
1954
What Every Woman Wants
Jim Barnes
1954
Albert R.N.
Texas
1953
House of Blackmail
Jimmy
1953
Appointment in London
Mac
1953
The Yellow Balloon
Len Turner
1953
They Were Not Divided
American Soldier (uncredited)
1950
Give Us This Day
Giovanni
1949