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William Sylvester

For the English recipient of the Victoria Cross, see William Henry Thomas Sylvester. For the American football player and coach and college athletics administrator, see Bill Sylvester.

William Sylvester (January 31, 1922 – January 25, 1995) was an American actor, chiefly known for his film and television work in the United Kingdom.[1] A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he was a star of British B-movies in the 1950s and 1960s, but gained widespread recognition for his role as Dr. Heywood Floyd in the landmark science-fiction film 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).

William Sylvester
Sylvester in a promotional image for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).
Born(1922-01-31)January 31, 1922
Oakland, California, US
DiedJanuary 25, 1995(1995-01-25) (aged 72)
Sacramento, California, U.S.
Alma materRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (1948)
OccupationActor
Years active1953–1978
Spouses
Sheila Sweet
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(m. 1949; div. 1955)​
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(m. 1955; div. 1966)​
Children3
RelativesRaymond Bailey (uncle)

Life and career

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William Sylvester was born in Oakland, California, the son of Italian immigrant Joseph Silvester (1899–1941) and his American wife, Gertrude Bailey Silvester (1898–1957). He served in the U.S. Navy during the Second World War and settled in Britain after the war to pursue his interest in professional acting. He became a staple of British B films at a time when American and Canadian actors were much in demand to give indigenous films some appeal in the United States. While in the UK, he married British actress Veronica Hurst.[2]

As a result, he gained top billing in one of his 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 A Stranger Came Home (1954, for Hammer), Dublin Nightmare (1958), Offbeat (1961), Information Received (1961), Incident at Midnight (1963), Blind Corner (1964), and Ring of Spies (1964).

There were also lead roles in four British horror films: Gorgo (1961), Devil Doll (1964), Devils of Darkness (1965) and The Hand of Night (1968).

Sylvester was cast by director Stanley Kubrick as Dr. Heywood R. Floyd in the landmark film 2001 A Space Odyssey (1968).[3] In spite of that notable role, Sylvester was never again cast in a prominent role in a motion picture, appearing instead in small parts and occasional supporting roles on television and in movies such as Busting (1974) (ironically directed by Peter Hyams, who would direct Roy Scheider as the character Dr. Heywood Floyd in 2010: The Year We Make Contact), The Hindenburg (1975) and Heaven Can Wait (1978).

Among his many television credits were a 1959 BBC version of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar (playing Mark Antony), The Saint, The Baron, The High Chaparral, Harry O, Danger Man, Banacek, The Six Million Dollar Man, Quincy, M.E.[4] and he was a regular on the one-season science-fiction series Gemini Man created by Steven Bochco.

Sylvester retired from acting during the early 1980s, and died of undisclosed causes in Sacramento, California, on January 25, 1995, six days before his 73rd birthday.[5]

Selected filmography

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References

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  1. ^ "William Sylvester". BFI. Archived from the original on July 15, 2012.
  2. ^ "William Sylvester profile". AllMovie. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
  3. ^ "The Underview on 2001: A Space Odyssey – Cast and Crew". Archived from the original on October 30, 2013.
  4. ^ "William Sylvester". TV Guide.
  5. ^ Richard Chatten (October 23, 2011). "Obituary: William Sylvester". The Independent.
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