William Sylvester (January 31, 1922 â€" January 25, 1995) was an
American television and film actor. His most famous film credit was
Dr. Heywood Floyd in Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey
(1968).William Sylvester was born in Oakland, California, the son of
Italian immigrant Joseph Silvester (1899â€"1941) and his American
wife, Gertrude Bailey Silvester (1898â€"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.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 (1960), Information Received
(1961), Incident at Midnight, Ring of Spies and Blind Corner (all
1963).
American television and film actor. His most famous film credit was
Dr. Heywood Floyd in Stanley Kubrick's 2001 A Space Odyssey
(1968).William Sylvester was born in Oakland, California, the son of
Italian immigrant Joseph Silvester (1899â€"1941) and his American
wife, Gertrude Bailey Silvester (1898â€"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.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 (1960), Information Received
(1961), Incident at Midnight, Ring of Spies and Blind Corner (all
1963).
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