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