by Hal Erickson
biography
Educated in convent schools, British leading lady Sylvia Syms trained for her craft at RADA. Syms made her film debut in 1956's My Teenaged Daughter. Though few of her films were memorable (exceptions include The Quare Fellow, Run Wild, Run Free), her popularity seldom faltered. Easing gracefully into character parts in the 1970s, Syms was frequently seen as bejeweled society matrons, often with hyphenated last names. She also starred as Isabelde Gines in British TV series Peak Practice. Sylvia Syms stage and screen credits should not be confused with those of Brooklyn-born nightclub entertainer Sylvia Syms, who died in 1992 at the age of 79.
