Jules Sylvester (born Julian Richard Sylvester; 13 November 1950) is a British wild animal trainer, actor, television presenter and snake wrangler who works in films as well as television.
Jules Sylvester | |
|---|---|
| Born | Julian Richard Sylvester 13 November 1950 Devon, England |
| Occupation(s) | Wild animal trainer, actor, television presenter, snake wrangler |
| Years active | 1975–present |
| Spouse |
Sue Sylvester (m. 1987) |
Early life
editHe was born in Devon, England, and raised in Kenya where he was first introduced to snake catching at age 16.[1] He served in the Rhodesia Regiment during the Rhodesian Bush War from 1973-1974.
Career
editHe has appeared in numerous television shows including a series of appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and his own 2002 series Wild Adventures. He handled snakes for the films Pee-wee's Big Adventure, Ernest Saves Christmas, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade[2] and Snakes on a Plane.[3] He was also a guest on The Bernie Mac Show. He has also made multiple appearances on Spike TV's 1000 Ways to Die, in segments dealing with animal-related deaths. In 2006, he claimed that after 40 years of snake handling he had never been bitten.[3] He also appeared as a snake handler in an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, "Got Murder."
He also professionally trains mammals including rhinos, wolves and lions.[4]
In 2012, he appeared in Animal Movers in Episode 2: "The Tortoise and the Hare-Raising Cobra". He transported cobras to Florida.[5]
On 19 February 2020, he appeared in Ryan's Mystery Playdate in Season 2 Episode 20, the first segment "Ryan's Jungle Lovin' Playdate". Later that year, Sylvester handled ants on the set of scenes for "The Guy for This", the third episode of the fifth season of Better Call Saul.
Personal life
editHe has been married to Sue Sylvester since 1987.[citation needed]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Captain Stirrick | Ned Stirrick | Credited as Julian Sylvester |
| 1989 | Turner & Hooch | Animal Control Man | Credited as Julian Sylvester |
| 1992 | Bram Stoker's Dracula | Zookeeper | |
| 1993 | Hard Target | Peterson | |
| 2010 | Jackass 3D | Himself | Uncredited Cameo |
| 2010 | Shelter | Older Man - Snake Milker | Titled 6 Souls in the United States |
| 2022 | Jackass Forever | Himself | Guest appearances |
| 2022 | Jackass 4.5 | Himself | Cameo |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Kidsongs | Himself | Episodes: "Alligator on the Loose" and "Recycled TV" |
| 1997 | ER | "Jungle" Gary Lomax | Episode: "Freak Show" |
| 1998–2010 | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Himself | 14 episodes |
| 2002 | The Bernie Mac Show | Himself | Episode: "Welcome to the Jungle" |
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Jake | Episode: "Got Murder?" |
| 2006 | The Daily Show | Himself | Episode: "Reza Asian" |
| 2006–2017 | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Desperate Housewives | Snake Handler | Episode: "Gossip" Credited as Julian Sylvester |
| 2008–2012 | 1000 Ways to Die | Himself | 20 episodes |
| 2013–2014 | America Now | Himself | 10 episodes |
| 2017 | Black-ish | Animal Trainer | Episode: "ToysRn'tUs" |
| 2017 | Escape the Night | Vampire | Credited as Julian Sylvester Episodes "The Masquerade Ball: Parts 1 & 2" |
| 2020 | Ryan's Mystery Playdate | Himself | Episodes: "Ryan's Jungle Lovin' Playdate" and "Ryan's Slithering Playdate" |
References
edit- ^ Vancheri, Barbara (16 August 2006). "Wrangler pampered snakes during filming". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ "Lemony Snicket by Russ". 21 August 2016.
- ^ a b Butler, Robert W. (18 August 2006). "Reptile wrangler: When filmmakers need snakes, they crawl to Jules Sylvester". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved 11 December 2010.
- ^ "About Jules Sylvester - Reptile Rentals".
- ^ AnimalMovers.TV (15 March 2012). "Animal Movers". AnimalMovers.TV. Archived from the original on 24 September 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2012.