Menu
William Sylvester

William Sylvester

Known For Acting
Birthday Jan 31, 1922
Died Jan 25, 1995 (72)
Birthplace Oakland, California, USA
Popularity 1.0 (history)
Updated Dec 19, 2024
Entry Date Apr 13, 2024
Links TMDb IMDb
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 Englan ... d 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

Headshots

Profile
Profile
Profile
Profile
Profile
Filmography

The 9th Wonder of the World:  The Making of 'Gorgo'

The 9th Wonder of the World: The Making of 'Gorgo'

2013

as Sam Slade (archive footage)

2001: The Making of a Myth

2001: The Making of a Myth

2001

as Dr. Heywood R. Floyd (archive footage) (uncredited)

First Family

First Family

1980

as TV Commentator Howard

Heaven Can Wait

Heaven Can Wait

1978

as Nuclear Reporter

Riding with Death

Riding with Death

1976

as Leonard Driscoll

The Hindenburg

The Hindenburg

1975

as Luftwaffe Colonel

Busting

Busting

1974

as Mr. Weldman

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark

1973

as Tom Henderson

The Challengers

The Challengers

1970

as Brad York

The Lawyer

The Lawyer

1970

as Paul Harrison

The Hand of Night

The Hand of Night

1968

as Paul Carver

The Syndicate

The Syndicate

1968

as Burt Hickey

2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey

1968

as Dr. Heywood Floyd

Red and Blue

Red and Blue

1968

as Trumpeter

Devils of Darkness

Devils of Darkness

1965

as Paul Baxter

Blind Corner

Blind Corner

1964

as Paul Gregory

Ring of Spies

Ring of Spies

1964

as Gordon Lonsdale

Devil Doll

Devil Doll

1964

as Mark English

Incident at Midnight

Incident at Midnight

1963

as Vince Warren

Offbeat

Offbeat

1961

as Layton / Steve Ross

Information Received

Information Received

1961

as Rick Hogan

Gorgo

Gorgo

1961

as Sam Slade

Whirlpool

Whirlpool

1959

as Hermann

Dublin Nightmare

Dublin Nightmare

1958

as John Kevin

High Tide at Noon

High Tide at Noon

1957

as Alec Douglas

Portrait of Alison

Portrait of Alison

1955

as Dave Forrester

What Every Woman Wants

What Every Woman Wants

1954

as Jim Barnes

A Stranger Came Home

A Stranger Came Home

1954

as Philip Vickers

House of Blackmail

House of Blackmail

1953

as Jimmy

The Yellow Balloon

The Yellow Balloon

1953

as Len Turner

Albert R.N.

Albert R.N.

1953

as Texas

Appointment in London

Appointment in London

1953

as Mac

They Were Not Divided

They Were Not Divided

1950

as American Soldier (uncredited)

Give Us This Day

Give Us This Day

1949

as Giovanni

No data available

No data available

No data available

Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

Gemini Man

as Leonard Driscoll

Episodes: 6

First Aired: May 10, 1976

Quincy, M.E.

as Joe Crawford

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Oct 03, 1976

The Six Million Dollar Man

as Admiral Prescott

Episodes: 3

First Aired: Jan 18, 1974

The F.B.I.

as Tom Barber

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 19, 1965

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

as Lt. General Preston Myers

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 20, 1979

Marcus Welby, M.D.

as Paul Berwick

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 23, 1969

The Saint

as Foots Fortunati

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1962

The High Chaparral

as Jack Simmons

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 10, 1967

Switch

as Ellis

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 09, 1975

The Saint

as Ralph Damien

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 04, 1962

The Magician

as Peter Hayden

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Oct 02, 1973

Banacek

as Dr. Stahl

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 13, 1972

The Six Million Dollar Man

as Frederick Collins

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 18, 1974

The High Chaparral

as Lafe Croswell

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 10, 1967

Green Acres

Episodes: 4

First Aired: Sep 15, 1965

Harry O

Episodes: 2

First Aired: Sep 12, 1974

The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Jan 30, 1977

Cannon

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 14, 1971

The Sentimental Agent

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 28, 1963

McCloud

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Feb 17, 1970

Big Shamus, Little Shamus

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Sep 29, 1979

What Really Happened to the Class of '65?

Episodes: 1

First Aired: Dec 08, 1977

Popularity Metrics

Popularity History


Year Month Avg Max Min
2024 6 7 14 3
2024 7 15 23 5
2024 8 9 20 4
2024 9 11 22 4
2024 10 4 7 2
2024 11 4 7 2
2024 12 6 10 3
2025 1 9 18 3
2025 2 3 7 1
2025 3 3 5 2
2025 5 1 2 1
2025 6 1 1 1
2025 7 0 0 0
2025 8 2 11 0
2025 9 0 0 0
2025 10 0 0 0

Trending Rank


Year Month Avg Rank Max Rank
No trending metrics available.

Return to Top