Jules Sylvester
{{short description|British animal trainer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Jules Sylvester
|birth_name = Julian Richard Sylvester
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1950|11|13}}
|birth_place = Devon, England
|occupation = Wild animal trainer, actor, television presenter, snake wrangler
|years_active = 1975–present
|spouse = {{marriage|Sue Sylvester|1987}}
}}
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.
Early life
He was born in Devon, England, and raised in Kenya where he was first introduced to snake catching at age 16.{{cite news|last=Vancheri|first=Barbara|title=Wrangler pampered snakes during filming|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06228/713733-254.stm|accessdate=11 December 2010|newspaper=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|date=16 August 2006}} He served in the Rhodesia Regiment during the Rhodesian Bush War from 1973-1974.
Career
He 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{{cite web | url=https://www.slideshare.net/RussCase/lemony-snicket-by-russ | title=Lemony Snicket by Russ | date=21 August 2016 }} and Snakes on a Plane. 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.{{cite news|last=Butler|first=Robert W.|title=Reptile wrangler: When filmmakers need snakes, they crawl to Jules Sylvester|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=KC&p_theme=kc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=113A1745C2BA9008&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|accessdate=11 December 2010|newspaper=The Kansas City Star|date=18 August 2006}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.reptilerentals.com/about-jules-sylvester.html|title = About Jules Sylvester - Reptile Rentals}}
In 2012, he appeared in Animal Movers in Episode 2: "The Tortoise and the Hare-Raising Cobra". He transported cobras to Florida.{{cite web|last=AnimalMovers.TV|title=Animal Movers|url=http://www.animalmovers.tv|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110924205152/http://animalmovers.tv/|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 September 2011|accessdate=1 January 2012|website=AnimalMovers.TV|date=15 March 2012}}
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
He has been married to Sue Sylvester since 1987.{{citation needed|date=July 2024}}
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
!Title !Role !Notes |
|---|
| 1982
| Captain Stirrick | Ned Stirrick | Credited as Julian Sylvester |
| 1989
| Animal Control Man | Credited as Julian Sylvester |
| 1992
| Zookeeper | |
| 1993
| Peterson | |
| 2010
| Himself | Uncredited |
| 2010
| Shelter | Older Man - Snake Milker | Titled 6 Souls in the United States |
| 2022
| Himself | Guest appearances |
| 2022
| Himself | Cameo |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| 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
| Himself | Episode: "Welcome to the Jungle" |
| 2003
| CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Jake | Episode: "Got Murder?" |
| 2006
| Himself | Episode: "Reza Asian" |
| 2006–2017
| Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2007
| Snake Handler | Episode: "Gossip" |
| 2008–2012
| Himself | 20 episodes |
| 2013–2014
| Himself | 10 episodes |
| 2017
| Animal Trainer | Episode: "ToysRn'tUs" |
| 2017
| Vampire | Credited as Julian Sylvester |
| 2020
| Himself | Episodes: "Ryan's Jungle Lovin' Playdate" and "Ryan's Slithering Playdate" |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|0843230}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sylvester, Jules}}
Category:British anti-communists
Category:British male film actors
Category:British male television actors
Category:20th-century British male actors
Category:21st-century British male actors
Category:British television presenters
Category:British emigrants to British Kenya
Category:Foreign volunteers in the Rhodesian Security Forces