Henry Silva Biography

Fast Facts

• Went on a publicity tour by himself for "The Animals" to make sure the film was adequately promoted
• Auditioned for the Actors Studio in 1955 and was one of only five applicants accepted out of 2,500
• Quit school at the age of 13 to attend drama classes and supported himself through several odd jobs, including a thread factory worker, a longshoreman, and a soda jerk
• Quote: "(On being typecast) "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․""
• Often cast as a villain, and in some cases is said to have outshined the lead roles
• Best known for his role as Chunjin in the original 1962 version of "The Manchurian Candidate․"
• His favorite movie to work on was "Johnny Cool," which was the first film to list him as the star
• He retired from acting in 2001 after being in the industry for 50 years