Henry Silva (born September 23 1928) is an American actor who has played a wide variety of movie roles.
Silva was born in Brooklyn, New York of Sicilian and Spanish descent. He grew up in Harlem and quit school when he was 13 years old to attend drama classes, supporting himself as a dishwasher and waiter in a Manhattan hotel.
By 1955, Silva felt ready to audition for the Actors Studio. He was one of five students chosen out of more than 2,500 applicants. When the Studio staged Michael V. Gazzo's play, A Hatful of Rain as a classroom project, it proved so successful that it was presented in Broadway, with students Ben Gazzara, Shelley Winters, Harry Guardino, Tony Franciosa, and Silva in key roles. Silva also appeared in the play's film version.
In Hollywood, he played a succession of villains in films including The Tall T, The Bravados, Green Mansions, Ocean's Eleven, Johnny Cool, and the original The Manchurian Candidate (aside from Angela Lansbury and Leslie Parrish, Silva is one of the film's few surviving featured actors).
He also sometimes played heavies on TV. For example he played a hit man in "Better Bargain" on Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Other TV roles included an episode of Rod Serling's Night Gallery.
An Italian film producer made Silva an offer to star as a hero for a change and he moved his family overseas. Silva's turning-point picture was a spaghetti western, The Hills Run Red, which made him a hot box office commodity in Spain, Italy, Germany, and France.
Returning to the United States, he co-starred with Frank Sinatra in Contract on Cherry Street, then signed on as Buck Rogers' evil adversary, as well as the villainous Kurt Zagon in Above the Law. In 1999, he appeared as the sorrowful and doomed mob boss Ray Vargo in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai.
Silva returned permanently to Los Angeles, but forays back to Europe's film production centers. He speaks Italian and Spanish fluently.
Henry Silva was born on September 15, 1928, in Brooklyn, New York. He quit public school to attend drama classes at the age of 13, supporting himself as a dishwasher in a Manhattan hotel. By 1955 Silva had moved up from dishwasher to waiter, and felt ready to audition for the Actors Studio. He was one of five students chosen out of more than 2500 applicants. When the Studio staged Michael V. Gazzo's play "A Hatful of Rain" as a classroom project, it proved so successful it came to Broadway--with students Ben Gazzara, Shelley Winters, Harry Guardino, Anthony Franciosa (I) and, of course, Silva in key roles. Called to Hollywood, he played a succession of heavies in films, including Bravados, The (1958), Green Mansions (1959), Ocean's Eleven (1960), Manchurian Candidate, The (1962) and Johnny Cool (1963). An Italian producer made Henry an offer he couldn't refuse--to star as a hero for a change--and he moved his family overseas. Silva's turning-point picture was a spaghetti western, Fiume di dollari, Un (1966), which made him a hot box office commodity in Spain, Italy, Germany and France. His popularity was enhanced by a gift for languages. He speaks Italian and Spanish fluently and has a flair for the kind of gritty, realistic roles that also catapulted Charles Bronson to European stardom. Returning to the United States, he co-starred with Frank Sinatra in the TV film Contract on Cherry Street (1977) (TV), then signed on as Buck Rogers' evil adversary, Kane, in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) (TV) and the television series of the same name. Silva now calls the San Fernando Valley home, but makes continual film forays back to Europe's production centers. A dedicated jogger, he puts in five miles a day "to keep in shape and relieve tension." He is married and the father of two sons, Michael and Scott.
