Vladek Sheybal Movies and Career Information

Vladek Sheybal (born Władysław Sheybal, 12 March 1923 – 16 October 1992) was a Polish character actor, whose career lasted from the 1950s into the 1980s. He was probably best known for his portrayal of the chess grandmaster Kronsteen in the 1963 James Bond film From Russia with Love, a role for which he had been personally recommended by his good friend Sean Connery. He was also well known for playing Russian General Bratchenko in Red Dawn. Sheybal excelled in playing cold, sinister villains. He starred in the 1957 film Kanał (credited as Władysław Sheybal), directed by Andrzej Wajda, before finding more lasting success in British films and television, usually cast in villainous roles. He also appeared as Holocaust survivor Egon Sobotnik in the landmark TV mini-series QB VII. Other movie credits include: Casino Royale, Billion Dollar Brain, Deadfall, Mosquito Squadron, The Last Valley, Women in Love, The Boy Friend, The Wind and the Lion, The Lady Vanishes, The Apple and The Jigsaw Man. TV credits include: Z-Cars, Danger Man, The Troubleshooters, The Saint, The Baron, The Champions, Callan, UFO (in which he had a recurring role as Dr. Jackson), The New Avengers, The Supernatural,