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