William Sylvester
Known for
William Sylvester has grown into a veteran American actor who has been at it long enough for audiences to grow up watching him. 46 credits across 77 years is a rate most careers never reach. For much of the audience, William Sylvester is Dr. Heywood Floyd from '2001: A Space Odyssey', whatever else the credits say. The list also holds 'Heaven Can Wait'. He started at 27. More of the credits fall under sci-fi than under anything else.
William Sylvester
30 Movies
16 Series
William Sylvester has grown into a veteran American actor who has been at it long enough for audiences to grow up watching him. 46 credits across 77 years is a rate most careers never reach. For much of the audience, William Sylvester is Dr. Heywood Floyd from '2001: A Space Odyssey', whatever else the credits say. The list also holds 'Heaven Can Wait'. He started at 27. More of the credits fall under sci-fi than under anything else.
Movies
Plays Dr. Heywood Floyd
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968
Plays Nuclear Reporter
Heaven Can Wait
1978
Plays Luftwaffe Colonel
The Hindenburg
1975
Plays Philip Vickers
The Unholy Four
1954
Plays Sam Slade
Gorgo
1961
Plays Paul Harrison
The Lawyer
1970
Plays Mr. Weldman
Busting
1974
Plays TV Commentator Howard
First Family
1980
Plays Texas
Albert R.N.
1953
Plays Jimmy
House of Blackmail
1953
Plays Gordon Lonsdale
Ring of Spies
1964
Plays Dave Forrester
Portrait of Alison
1955
Plays Giovanni
Give Us This Day
1949
Plays Mark English
Devil Doll
1964
Plays Paul Baxter
Devils of Darkness
1965
Plays Len Turner
The Yellow Balloon
1953
Plays Paul Carver
The Hand of Night
1968
Plays Layton / Steve Ross
Offbeat
1961
Plays Alec Douglas
High Tide at Noon
1957
Plays Jim Barnes
What Every Woman Wants
1954
Plays Rick Hogan
Information Received
1961
Plays Mac
Appointment in London
1953
Plays Hermann
Whirlpool
1959
Plays John Kevin
Dublin Nightmare
1958
Plays Paul Gregory
Blind Corner
1964
TV Shows
Plays Leonard Driscoll
Gemini Man
1976
Plays Dr. Hoffman
Green Acres
1965
Plays Joe Crawford
Quincy, M.E.
1976
Plays Admiral Prescott
The Six Million Dollar Man
1974
Plays Tom Barber
The F.B.I.
1965
Plays Lt. General Preston Myers
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
Plays Paul Berwick
Marcus Welby, M.D.
1969
Plays Foots Fortunati
The Saint
1962
Plays Jack Simmons
The High Chaparral
1967
Plays Ellis
Switch
1975
Plays Peter Hayden
The Magician
1973
Plays Dr. Stahl
Banacek
1972
Plays Al Stevens
The Troubleshooters
1965
Plays Colonel Wilkins
San Francisco International Airport
1970
Plays Ed Norman
Armchair Theatre
1956
Plays James Carpenter / Oscar Schumak
Danger Man
1960
Latest Trailers
Watch Trailer
First Family
Full Filmography
Quincy, M.E.
Joe Crawford · 4 episodes
1977–1983
TV
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Lt. General Preston Myers · 1 episode
1981
TV
First Family
TV Commentator Howard
1980
Film
Heaven Can Wait
Nuclear Reporter
1978
Film
Switch
Ellis · 1 episode
1975–1976
TV
Gemini Man
Leonard Driscoll · 6 episodes
1976
TV
The Six Million Dollar Man
Frederick Collins · 1 episode
1975
TV
The Hindenburg
Luftwaffe Colonel
1975
Film
The Magician
Peter Hayden · 1 episode
1973–1974
TV
Photos
Frequently Asked Questions
Is William Sylvester still alive?
William Sylvester passed away on January 25, 1995 at age 72.
What are the most famous roles of William Sylvester?
William Sylvester is best known for roles in 2001: A Space Odyssey, You Only Live Twice, Heaven Can Wait.
How many movies has William Sylvester been in?
Over a 46-year career (since 1949), William Sylvester has appeared in 30 movies and 16 TV shows.
What was William Sylvester's first movie?
The career of William Sylvester began with Give Us This Day (1949).
What is William Sylvester's most recent movie or series?
William Sylvester's most recent release is First Family, which premiered on December 25, 1980.
What TV shows has William Sylvester appeared in?
On television, William Sylvester has appeared in The Six Million Dollar Man, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Saint, Quincy, M.E..
William Sylvester
1922-01-31 · Oakland, California, USA
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.