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