Henry Silva was born on September 15, 1928 in Brooklyn, New York City. He quit public school to attend drama classes at age 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 ...
[from an interview in 1971] Funny thing over here [America] they see me as a bad guy; in Europe they see me as a hero.
2
I'm a very lucky guy in certain aspects. I've enjoyed my life. It's not the end of it -- I'm still enjoying it.
3
I got typecast as a heavy. There's no reason in the world for me to be a heavy, none. People love to put handles on you. They're not thinking about you, they're thinking about themselves. You have to be creative or else; if you're creative, then they'll go with you, but they want the easy way out.
Has two sons from his marriage to Ruth Earl: Michael and Scott.
6
Retired from acting in 2001 after 50 years in the motion picture industry.
7
The 1930 census lists him (as "Harry") living with his divorced mother in Manhattan. This census entry gives both his parents' birthplaces as "Porto Rico".
8
Provides an audio commentary for the DVD version of The Return of Mr. Moto (1965) (part of the special features in Peter Lorre's Mr. Moto DVD collection). While making minimal comments about that movie itself, he does address the issue of his heritage. Wryly noting he had been assumed to be everything, including Russian, he specifically denied being of Puerto Rican heritage, which is the most commonly reported. He states that his mother was from Northern Spain and that his father was Italian. He was born in Brooklyn but left there when he was only five months old. His father left his mother when Silva was only three months old. Silva says that he was only eight years old when he decided to become an actor, although he didn't do anything about it until his teens. His inspiration was primarily his mother. Apparently, she was a storyteller and, upon returning from shopping, would fill their apartment with vivid characterizations of the grocer, baker etc. Silva concludes by noting that he thinks of his mother every day.
Actor
Title
Year
Status
Character
Ocean's Eleven
2001
Boxing Spectator
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
1999
Ray Vargo
Justice
1999/I
TV Movie
Sal The Joker
Unconditional Love
1999
Ted Markham
Superman
1998
TV Series
Bane
Buddy Faro
1998
TV Series
Roland Lastarza
The New Batman Adventures
1998
TV Series
Bane
The End of Violence
1997
Juan Emilio
The Prince
1996/I
Marshall Stern
Mad Dog Time
1996
Sleepy Joe Carlisle
Drifting School
1995
General Stearn
Fatal Choice
1995
Gene Serino
Batman: The Animated Series
1994
TV Series
Bane
Possessed by the Night
1994
Video
Scott Lindsey
The Silence of the Hams
1994
Police Chief
South Beach
1993
Santiago
Three Days to a Kill
1992
Perez
The Harvest
1992
Detective Topo
Fists of Steel
1991
Shogi
L'ultima meta
1991
Warden Yashin
Dick Tracy
1990
Influence
Cyborg - Il guerriero d'acciaio
1989
Hammer
La via della droga
1989
Capt. Wesson
Trained to Kill
1989
Ace Duran
Above the Law
1988
Kurt Zagon
Bulletproof
1988
Col. Kartiff
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold
1986
Agon
Code of Silence
1985
Luis Comacho
Lust in the Dust
1985
Bernardo
Killer contro killers
1985
Sterling
The Manhunt
1984
Prison Boss
Cannonball Run II
1984
Slim
Razza violenta
1984
Kirk Cooper
Happy
1983
TV Movie
Sinclair
Le marginal
1983
Sauveur Meccacci
Escape from the Bronx
1983
Floyd Wrangler
Chained Heat
1983
Lester
Megaforce
1982
Duke Guerera
Baker County, U.S.A.
1982
Henry Chatwill
Wrong Is Right
1982
Rafeeq
Sharky's Machine
1981
Billy Score
Alligator
1980
Brock
Day of Resurrection
1980
Gen. Garland
Day of the Assassin
1979
Police Chief Jorge Gomez
Thirst
1979
Dr. Gauss
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
TV Series
Kane
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
1979
Kane
Love and Bullets
1979
Vittorio Farroni
Quark
1978
TV Series
The High Gorgon
Napoli spara!
1977
Santoro
Woo fook
1977
Michael Saxon
Contract on Cherry Street
1977
TV Movie
Roberto Obregon
Il trucido e lo sbirro
1976
Brescianelli
Poliziotti violenti
1976
Maj. Paolo Altieri
Shoot
1976
Zeke
Switch
1975
TV Series
Kirk Shaw
The Manhunt
1975
David Vannucchi
Zanna Bianca alla riscossa
1974
Mr. Nelson
Fatevi vivi, la polizia non interverrà
1974
Commissario Caprile
Almost Human
1974
Commissario Walter Grandi
The F.B.I.
1967-1974
TV Series
Stan Chasen / Chard / Richard Macklin
Cry of a Prostitute
1974
Tony Aniante
Battle of the Godfathers
1973
Luca Messina
The Streets of San Francisco
1973
TV Series
Lee Wilson
Drive Hard, Drive Fast
1973
TV Movie
Deek La Costa
Les hommes
1973
Everett
The Boss
1973
Lanzetta
L'insolent
1973
Emmanuel Ristack dit 'L'insolent'
The Italian Connection
1972
Dave
The Sixth Sense
1972
TV Series
Linchou
Black Noon
1971
TV Movie
Moon
Bearcats!
1971
TV Series
Zavala
Man and Boy
1971
Caine
Night Gallery
1971
TV Series
Pandit Chola (segment "The Doll")
San Francisco International Airport
1970
TV Series
The Animals
1970
Chatto
It Takes a Thief
1969
TV Series
Peter Vale
Hawaii Five-O
1969
TV Series
Elpidio Acuna
Probabilità zero
1969
Duke
Mission: Impossible
1969
TV Series
Norvan Kruger
The Falling Man
1968
Inspector Sterling
Never a Dull Moment
1968
Frank Boley
I Spy
1968
TV Series
Dr. Akivic
The High Chaparral
1967
TV Series
Santos Castaneda
The Danny Thomas Hour
1967
TV Series
Bob Rome
Cimarron Strip
1967
TV Series
Coffin
Assassination
1967
John Chandler / Philip Chandler
Matchless
1967
Hank Norris
Laredo
1967
TV Series
Gen. Shen Ti
Tarzan
1966
TV Series
Ivor Merrick
The Hills Run Red
1966
Garcia Mendez
The Plainsman
1966
Crazy Knife
Run for Your Life
1965
TV Series
Carl Torre
The Return of Mr. Moto
1965
Mr. Moto
Daniel Boone
1965
TV Series
Zapotec
The Reward
1965
Joaquin
Hail, Mafia
1965
Schaft
Wagon Train
1962-1965
TV Series
Doc Holliday / Ram Singh / John Turnbull
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
1965
TV Series
Gen. Tau
The Secret Invasion
1964
John Durrell - Assassin
Breaking Point
1964
TV Series
Father Gabriel
Arrest and Trial
1964
TV Series
Frank Vose
The Outer Limits
1963-1964
TV Series
Chino Rivera / Gen. Juan Mercurio
Insight
1964
TV Series
Carlos
Johnny Cool
1963
Johnny Cool / Salvatore Giordano
A Gathering of Eagles
1963
Col. Joe Garcia
Stoney Burke
1963
TV Series
Matt Elder
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1963
TV Series
Bill Grant
Dr. Kildare
1963
TV Series
Ed Carson
The Manchurian Candidate
1962
Chunjin
Sergeants 3
1962
Mountain Hawk
The Untouchables
1960-1962
TV Series
Little Charlie Sebastino / Joker
Cain's Hundred
1961
TV Series
Riley
The Joey Bishop Show
1961
TV Series
Ricky Hamilton
Thriller
1961
TV Series
Toby Wolfe
Stagecoach West
1961
TV Series
Mel Harney
The Islanders
1961
TV Series
Helmuth Mansing
Cinderfella
1960
Maximilian
Ocean's 11
1960
Roger Corneal
Hotel de Paree
1960
TV Series
Start Thorne
Adventures in Paradise
1960
TV Series
Raoul Marquette
Alcoa Theatre
1959
TV Series
Tom Longman
The Jayhawkers!
1959
Lordan
Green Mansions
1959
Kua-Ko
Ride a Crooked Trail
1958
Sam Teeler
The Bravados
1958
Lujan
The Law and Jake Wade
1958
Rennie
Climax!
1957-1958
TV Series
Slayer / Marc
Suspicion
1957
TV Series
Dick
A Hatful of Rain
1957
Mother
The Tall T
1957
Chink
West Point
1956
TV Series
Cadet Joe Simpson
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
1956
TV Series
Harry Silver
Crowded Paradise
1956
Producers' Showcase
1955
TV Series
Viva Zapata!
1952
Hernandez - Peasant who challenges 'president' Zapata (uncredited)
Lights Out
1950
TV Series
Armstrong Circle Theatre
1950
TV Series
Self
Title
Year
Status
Character
Sinatra: All or Nothing at All
2015
TV Mini-Series documentary
Himself
Eurocrime! The Italian Cop and Gangster Films That Ruled the '70s
2012
Documentary
Himself
Brando
2007
TV Movie documentary
Himself
The Bronze Screen: 100 Years of the Latino Image in American Cinema
2002
Documentary
Himself
E! True Hollywood Story
1999
TV Series documentary
Himself
Amazon Women on the Moon
1987
Himself (segment "Bullshit or Not")
Family Feud
1982
TV Series
Himself
The Mike Douglas Show
1979
TV Series
Himself - Actor
The 21st Annual TV Week Logie Awards
1979
TV Special
Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1966
TV Series
Himself - Guest
Cinépanorama
1965
TV Series documentary
Himself
Here's Hollywood
1962
TV Series
Himself
Archive Footage
Title
Year
Status
Character
Biography
1999
TV Series documentary
Johnny Cool
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies