Henry Silva, of ‘Manchurian Candidate,’ ‘Ocean’s 11’ fame, dead at 95
ByKelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
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Henry Silva, legendary villain of ‘Manchurian Candidate,’ ‘Ocean’s 11’ fame, dead at 95 Henry Silva roles in “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s 11” and “Johnny Cool” are fondly remembered. (NCD)
ByKelli Dugan, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. — Henry Silva, whose villainous turns in such films as “The Manchurian Candidate,” “Ocean’s 11” and “Johnny Cool” made him a go-to Hollywood henchman throughout a career spanning six decades, has died at the age of 95.
Silva died Wednesday of natural causes at the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital in Woodland Hills, California, his son Scott Silva confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter.
Per Variety: “One of Silva’s most memorable roles came in John Frankenheimer’s classic thriller ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ (1962), in which he played Chunjin, the Korean houseboy for Laurence Harvey’s Raymond Shaw — and an agent for the Communists — who engages in a thrilling, well-choreographed martial arts battle with Frank Sinatra’s Major Bennett Marco in Shaw’s New York apartment.”
Deana Martin, daughter of the late Dean Martin, praised Silva’s longevity in a Twitter tribute.
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. He was the last surviving star of the original Oceans 11 Movie. We love you Henry, you will be missed 🥲 pic.twitter.com/sFOFqRVuU7
“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. He was the last surviving star of the original Oceans 11 Movie. We love you Henry, you will be missed,” she wrote.
Born in Brooklyn on Sept. 15, 1928, Silva was raised in Spanish Harlem to Italian and Puerto Rican parents and quit school at 13 but supported himself as a waiter and dishwasher while taking drama courses. Silva was one of only five students accepted from a field of 2,500 applicants for the Actors Studio in 1955, Variety reported.
According to the entertainment news site, Silva’s television debut came in 1950′s “Armstrong Circle Theatre,” while his first film role – uncredited – came two years later in Elia Kazan’s “Viva Zapata!,” starring Marlon Brando.
In later years, he appeared in Burt Reynolds’ “Sharky’s Machine” from 1981, alongside Chuck Norris in 1985′s “Code of Silence, in Steven Segal’s “Above the Law” in 1988, alongside Warren Beatty in 1990′s “Dick Tracy” and opposite Forest Whitaker in 1999′s “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,” according to THR.
Silva’s final screen appearance was a cameo in the “Ocean’s Eleven” remake in 2001, the entertainment news site reported.
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Henry Silva through the years Henry Silva during Opening of the Deanne F. Johnson Center for Neurotherapeutics - October 12, 2004 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Matthew Simmons/WireImage) (Matthew Simmons/WireImage via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years Promotional portrait of the cast of the film, 'Oceans 11'; (left - right): Richard Conte (1910 - 1975), Buddy Lester, (1907 - 1994), Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr. (1925 - 1990), Frank Sinatra (1915 - 1998), Dean Martin (1917 - 1995), Peter Lawford (1923 - 1984), Akim Tamiroff (1899 - 1972), Richard Benedict (1920 - 1984), Henry Silva, Norman Fell (1924 - 1998), and Clem Harvey, 1960. (Photo by Warner Bros./Getty Images) (Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years LOS ANGELES - APRIL 4: Henry Silva as Marc and Shelley Winters as Carol in the CLIMAX! episode, "Don't Touch Me." Image dated April 4, 1957. (Photo by CBS via Getty Images) (CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years Headshot of Henry Silva, US actor, in a publicity portrait issued for the film, 'Johnny Cool', USA, 1963. The crime drama, directed by William Asher, starred Silva as 'Salvatore Giordano', also known as 'Johnny Cool'. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images) (Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years Actor Henry Silva on the set of the 20th Century Fox movie"The Return of Mr. Moto" in 1965. (Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years Henry Silva pulls a gun on one of his enemies in a scene from the film 'The Italian Connection', 1973. (Photo by American International Pictures/Getty Images) (Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years IT TAKES A THIEF - "A Friend In Deed" - Airdate November 27, 1969. (Photo by ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images) HENRY SILVA;ROBERT WAGNER (ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years American actor Chuck Norris talking to American actor Henry Silva in the film Code of Silence. 1985 (Photo by Mondadori via Getty Images) (Mondadori Portfolio/Mondadori via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years American actors Henry Silva, R. G. Armstrong, Madonna, William Forsythe and Al Pacino, surround actor, director and producer Warren Beatty on the set of his movie Dick Tracy. (Photo by Sunset Boulevard/Corbis via Getty Images) (TOUCHSTONE PICTURES/Corbis via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years ORLANDO, FL - JUNE 14: Henry Silva attends the world premiere of "Influence" on June 14, 1990 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images) (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years Wendy Silva, Henry Silva and Doris Winter during Opening of the Deanne F. Johnson Center for Neurotherapeutics - October 12, 2004 at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. (Photo by Matthew Simmons/WireImage) (Matthew Simmons/WireImage via Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years LOS ANGELES - OCTOBER 12: (L-R) Actor Henry Silva, producer Kate Edelman Johnson and actress Stephanie Powers attend the opening of the Deane F. Johnson Center For Neurotherapeutics at UCLA on October 12, 2004 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Vince Bucci/Getty Images) (Vince Bucci/Getty Images)
Henry Silva through the years Henry Silva during "Flags of Our Fathers" Los Angeles Premiere - Arrivals at Academy Theatre in Beverly Hills, California, United States. (Photo by SGranitz/WireImage) (Steve Granitz/WireImage via Getty Images)
