Henry Silva, the rough and tough actor with more than 100 film appearances, died this week. He was 95.
Silva, known for his roles in “The Manchurian Candidate” and “Ocean’s Eleven,” among many others, died at the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, CA, on Wednesday, a family member confirmed.
Scott Silva, Henry’s son, told Variety his father passed away of natural causes.
The Hollywood “heavy” starred alongside some of the best in the industry as his prolific acting and tough look led him into major roles spanning decades.
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The actor starred in “Ocean’s Eleven” alongside Dean Martin, whose daughter initially announced Silva’s death in a statement praising his talent.
“Our hearts are broken at the loss of our dear friend Henry Silva, one of the nicest, kindest and most talented men I’ve had the pleasure of calling my friend,” Deana Martin tweeted. “He was the last surviving star of the original Oceans 11 Movie.”
The New York native dropped out of school as a teenager in the 1940s, but was accepted into the Actors Studio and went on to an illustrious acting career in the United States and Europe.
Silva’s breakthrough role came in the 1950s when he starred as a drug dealer in “A Hatful of Rain” before joining two of Frank Sinatra’s iconic movies in the following decade: “Ocean’s Eleven” and “The Manchurian Candidate.” He also starred in 1963’s “Johnny Cool,” and 1965’s “The Return of Mr. Moto.”
Silva’s 1970s were even busier as he scored prominent roles in “Milan Caliber 9” (1972), “Manhunt” (1972) and “The Boss” (1973), as well as European titles including “Cry of a Prostitute,” Umberto Lenzi’s “Almost Human,” “Manhunt in the City” and “Free Hand for a Tough Cop,” “Weapons of Death” and1979’s “Crimebusters,” Variety reported.
In the 1980s, he made appearances with Burt Reynolds in “Sharky’s Machine” (1981), Chuck Norris in “Code of Silence” (1985), and Steven Seagal in “Above the Law” (1988).
Silva’s final film appearance was the 2001 remake of “Ocean’s Eleven,” in which he had a cameo.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
