Henry Silva

Biography

Henry Silva was an American actor who worked for five decades in film and television, appearing in more than 140 productions. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Spanish Harlem, he left school at 13 to attend drama classes and was accepted into the Actors Studio by 1955. After an uncredited debut in Elia Kazan's Viva Zapata! (1952), he played villains in The Tall T (1957), The Bravados (1958), and The Law and Jake Wade (1958). His breakthrough came with Rat Pack films Ocean's 11 (1960) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962), followed by the lead in Johnny Cool (1963). He then became a star of the Italian poliziotteschi genre. In the 1980s he played villains in Sharky's Machine (1981), Megaforce (1982), Code of Silence (1985), and Above the Law (1988), and voiced Bane in the DC Animated Universe. His final roles included a mob boss in Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999). He died in 2022.

95years old at death

Born September 23, 1926Brooklyn
Died September 14, 2022Woodland Hills
Star sign: LibraFirst day of the sign, on the Virgo cusp

Movie Career

Films: 33
Career span: 47 years1952 to 1999

Genres

Drama52%, 17 films
Action39%, 13 films
Crime33%, 11 films
Thriller30%, 10 films
Comedy21%, 7 films

First and latest

Photos

Did you know?!

Early training
At 13, Silva left school so he could take drama classes. He paid his way by working as a dishwasher and a waiter at a hotel in Manhattan.
First role
Henry Silva made his first Hollywood appearance in Elia Kazan's 1952 film Viva Zapata!, though he was not credited for the role.
Early training
Silva was accepted into the Actors Studio in 1955, and a classroom staging of A Hatful of Rain that grew from his own improvisation was moved to Broadway.

Henry Silva movies on Netflix

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai1999IMDb rating 7.5as Ray Vargo
Mad Dog Time1996IMDb rating 5.4as Sleepy Joe Carlisle
The Silence of the Hams1994IMDb rating 4.7as Police Chief
South Beach1993IMDb rating 4.1as Santiago
Above the Law1988IMDb rating 6.0as Kurt Zagon
Bulletproof1988IMDb rating 4.9as Col. Kartiff
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold1986IMDb rating 4.6as Agon
Code of Silence1985IMDb rating 6.1as Luis Comacho
Lust in the Dust1985IMDb rating 5.9as Bernardo
Escape from the Bronx1983IMDb rating 4.7as Floyd Wrangler
Megaforce1982IMDb rating 3.7as Duke Guerera
Wrong Is Right1982IMDb rating 5.6as Rafeeq
Sharky's Machine1981IMDb rating 6.3as Billy Score
Alligator1980IMDb rating 6.1as Brock
Day of Resurrection1980IMDb rating 6.2as General Garland
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century1979IMDb rating 6.5as Kane
Love and Bullets1979IMDb rating 5.6as Vittorio Farroni
Thirst1979IMDb rating 5.8as Dr. Gauss
The Italian Connection1972IMDb rating 7.1as David Catania
The Animals1970IMDb rating 4.4as Chatto
The Secret Invasion1964IMDb rating 5.8as John Durrell
A Gathering of Eagles1963IMDb rating 6.1as Col. Joe Garcia
Johnny Cool1963IMDb rating 6.4as Johnny Cool / Salvatore Giordano
The Manchurian Candidate1962IMDb rating 7.9as Chunjin
Cinderfella1960IMDb rating 5.9as Maximilian
Ocean's Eleven1960IMDb rating 6.5as Roger Corneal
Green Mansions1959IMDb rating 5.3as Kua-Ko
Ride a Crooked Trail1958IMDb rating 6.6as Sam Teeler
The Bravados1958IMDb rating 7.0as Leandro Lujan
The Law and Jake Wade1958IMDb rating 6.8as Rennie
A Hatful of Rain1957IMDb rating 7.1as Mother
The Tall T1957IMDb rating 7.3as Chink
Viva Zapata!1952IMDb rating 7.2as Hernandez

Best known for

The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.

Top

Above the Law1988 Action, Crime, Mysteryas Kurt Zagon
IMDb rating 6.037K votes
The Manchurian Candidate1962 Drama, Thrilleras Chunjin
IMDb rating 7.985K votes
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai1999as Ray Vargo
IMDb rating 7.5104K votes
Code of Silence1985as Luis Comacho
IMDb rating 6.112K votes
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold1986as Agon
IMDb rating 4.612K votes
Sharky's Machine1981as Billy Score
IMDb rating 6.37.4K votes
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century1979as Kane
IMDb rating 6.57.8K votes
Escape from the Bronx1983as Floyd Wrangler
IMDb rating 4.73.4K votes

Most often with

Andrew Davis directed two of these films. Joey Bishop appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.

Top

Joey Bishop

Burt Reynolds

Robert Forster

Sharon Stone

Gary Busey

Frank SinatraAndrew DavisDirector, 2 films

Films together

Joey Bishop3 films together, 1960 to 1996
Joey Bishop's page
- Mad Dog Time1996IMDb rating 5.4Silva as Sleepy Joe CarlisleBishop as Mr. Gottlieb
- Johnny Cool1963IMDb rating 6.4Silva as Johnny Cool / Salvatore GiordanoBishop as Holmes, Used Car Salesman
- Ocean's Eleven1960IMDb rating 6.5Silva as Roger CornealBishop as "Mushy" O'Connors
Burt Reynolds2 films together, 1981 to 1996
Burt Reynolds's page
- Mad Dog Time1996IMDb rating 5.4Silva as Sleepy Joe CarlisleReynolds as 'Wacky' Jacky Jackson
- Sharky's Machine1981IMDb rating 6.3Silva as Billy ScoreReynolds as Sgt. Tom Sharky
Robert Forster2 films together, 1980 to 1993
Robert Forster's page
- South Beach1993IMDb rating 4.1Silva as SantiagoForster as Det. Ted Coleman
- Alligator1980IMDb rating 6.1Silva as BrockForster as David
Sharon Stone2 films together, 1986 to 1988
Sharon Stone's page
- Above the Law1988IMDb rating 6.0Silva as Kurt ZagonStone as Sara Toscani
- Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold1986IMDb rating 4.6Silva as AgonStone as Jesse Huston
Gary Busey2 films together, 1988 to 1993
Gary Busey's page
- South Beach1993IMDb rating 4.1Silva as SantiagoBusey as Lenny
- Bulletproof1988IMDb rating 4.9Silva as Col. KartiffBusey as Frank 'Bulletproof' McBain
Frank Sinatra2 films together, 1960 to 1962
Frank Sinatra's page
- The Manchurian Candidate1962IMDb rating 7.9Silva as ChunjinSinatra as Capt./Maj. Bennett Marco
- Ocean's Eleven1960IMDb rating 6.5Silva as Roger CornealSinatra as Danny Ocean
Andrew DavisDirector, 2 films, 1985 to 1988
All films by Andrew Davis
- Above the Law1988IMDb rating 6.0Silva as Kurt Zagon
- Code of Silence1985IMDb rating 6.1Silva as Luis Comacho
Also two films together17 more actors
- Richard AndersonA Gathering of Eagles (1963) and Johnny Cool (1963)
- Val AverySharky's Machine (1981) and Love and Bullets (1979)
- Woody StrodeLust in the Dust (1985) and The Italian Connection (1972)
- Cesar RomeroLust in the Dust (1985) and Ocean's Eleven (1960)
- Sammy Davis Jr.Johnny Cool (1963) and Ocean's Eleven (1960)
- John McGiverJohnny Cool (1963) and The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- Albert SalmiLove and Bullets (1979) and The Bravados (1958)
- Thalmus RasulalaAbove the Law (1988) and Bulletproof (1988)
- Richard H. CuttingRide a Crooked Trail (1958) and The Law and Jake Wade (1958)
- Joseph WisemanBuck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979) and Viva Zapata! (1952)
- Ron DeanAbove the Law (1988) and Code of Silence (1985)
- Michael V. GazzoAlligator (1980) and Love and Bullets (1979)
- Nedra VolzThe Silence of the Hams (1994) and Lust in the Dust (1985)
- Miguel NinoAbove the Law (1988) and Code of Silence (1985)
- Joseph F. KosalaAbove the Law (1988) and Code of Silence (1985)
- Ronnie BarronAbove the Law (1988) and Code of Silence (1985)
- Vince ViveritoGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999) and Above the Law (1988)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.