Harold Sylvester

Early life and education

Sylvester was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is a graduate of New Orleans' St. Augustine High School and Tulane University. Turning down Harvard, he attended Tulane on a basketball scholarship and graduated in 1972 with a degree in theater and psychology. He was the first African American to receive an athletic scholarship from Tulane.

Career

Sylvester is best known for his role on the TV series Married... with Children as Griff, the co-worker and friend of Al Bundy at the shoe store. Harold's other TV roles include the miniseries Wheels (1978), the short-lived 1981 series Walking Tall, Today's F.B.I., Mary (1985), Shaky Ground, and "A Different World". The most recent TV show in which he starred was The Army Show. Sylvester had a recurring role on the TV series City of Angels. He has made guest appearances on shows, ranging from The Eddie Capra Mysteries to Hill Street Blues to Murder, She Wrote to NYPD Blue.

His first Hollywood role was as Nathan, a lead character in Part 2, Sounder, the sequel to Sounder. His better known film roles are in supporting roles in An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Uncommon Valor (1983), Innerspace (1987), and Corrina, Corrina (1994). He was a contract player for Universal Studios.

Sylvester wrote the screenplay for the 1998 TV movie Passing Glory, based on some of his experiences playing basketball in high school including a groundbreaking game of St. Augustine High School's all-black team against Jesuit High School's all-white team.

The Amistad Research Center of New Orleans, Louisiana, maintains a collection of papers of Harold Sylvester, documenting his correspondence, film and television scripts, materials reflecting his involvement with the Free Southern Theater and his Blue Bayou Productions Company.