Robert A. Silverman was born on February 24, 1938 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Silverman is a Canadian actor and often cast by writer/director David Cronenberg. He is sometimes credited as Bob Silverman or Robert Silverman. He has appeared in five films directed by David Cronenberg. He has also acted in the Friday the 13th: The Series episodes "Hate On Your Dial" and "Faith Healer" (directed by Cronenberg), and acted with him in Jason X.

Silverman was nominated in 2003 for a Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series in The Eleventh Hour.

Silverman has been cast by Cronenberg in the following films:

• eXistenZ (1999) as D'Arcy Nader
• Naked Lunch (1991) as Hans
• Scanners (1981) as Benjamin Pierce
• The Brood (1979) as Jan Hartog
• Rabid (1977) as Man In Hospital