Leon Askin

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Male

Birthday 1907-09-18

Deathday 2005-06-03 (97 years old)

Place of Birth Vienna, Austria

Also Known As Leo Aschkenasy

Leon Askin

Biography

Leon Askin (Born: September 18, 1907, Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria), Height 6ft [1.83m]) was an Austrian-American actor who enjoyed a successful career in both theater and television. He is best known for his portrayal of General Albert Burkhalter in the hit sitcom "Hogan's Heroes," a role he played for six seasons from 1965 to 1971. Born Leo Aschkenasy in Vienna, Austria, in 1907, Askin developed an interest in acting at a young age. He studied at the Max Reinhardt Seminar, a prestigious acting school in Vienna, and began his career on the stage in the early 1930s. With the rise of the Nazi regime in Germany, Askin, a Jew, was forced to flee Austria in 1938. He emigrated to the United States, where he continued to work in theater. He also began appearing in films and television shows, often playing villainous roles due to his imposing stature and commanding presence. Askin's most famous role came in 1965 when he was cast as General Burkhalter in "Hogan's Heroes." The show, which chronicled the exploits of a group of American prisoners of war running a secret operation from a German POW camp, was a huge success, and Askin became a household name. After "Hogan's Heroes" ended in 1971, Askin continued to work steadily in television and film. He appeared in numerous guest roles on popular shows such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "The Rockford Files," and "Murder, She Wrote." He also had recurring roles on the soap operas "General Hospital" and "Santa Barbara." Askin's film credits include such movies as "The Dirty Dozen," "The Night of the Generals," and "The Boys from Brazil." He also continued to work in theater throughout his career, appearing in both Broadway and off-Broadway productions. Askin remained active in acting well into his later years. He published an autobiography, "Quietude and Quest: Protagonists and Antagonists in the Theatre, on and Off Stage as Seen Through the Eyes of Leon Askin," in 1997. He also received numerous awards for his work, including the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art in 1988 and the Silver Cross of Honor in 1994. Askin died in Vienna in 2005 at the age of 97. He is remembered as one of the most versatile and talented actors of his generation.

Known For

Actor

1999
Kubanisch rauchen

as Waranovsky

1998
Die Bräute

as Rutte

1998
Medicopter 117 – Jedes Leben zählt

as Francesco Del la Ribiola

1994
OcchioPinocchio

as Lo psichiatra

1994
Fear of Heights

as Vater Gusenleitner

1994
Inspector Rex

as Nachbar

1986
Odd Jobs

as Don Carlucci

1985
Savage Island

as Luker

1982
Airplane II: The Sequel

as Moscow Anchorman

1981
Frightmare

as Wolfgang

1981
Going Ape!

as Zebrewski

1977
Karl May

as Klotz-Sello

1975
Switch

as Prince Dimitri Marenka

1974
Verurteilt 1910

as Regierungsrat Stukart

1973
Genesis II

as Overseer

1973
1972
Hammersmith Is Out

as Dr. Krodt

1970
Der schwarze Graf

as Amschel Talmeier

1969
Death Knocks Twice

as Peppe Mangano

1969
The Maltese Bippy

as Axel Kronstadt

1968
A Fine Pair

as Chief Wellman

1968
1968
Lucrezia

as Alessandro VI

1968
Guns for San Sebastian

as Vicar General

1967
1967
Double Trouble

as Inspector de Groote

1966
1965
Do Not Disturb

as Langsdorf

1965
The F.B.I.

as Arnold Bebenek

1965
Hogan's Heroes

as General Burkhalter

1965
Honey West

as The Count

1964
Daniel Boone

as Roquelin

1963
The Outer Limits

as Shop Superintendent

1962
Lulu

as Medizinalrat Dr. Goll

1962
1961
One, Two, Three

as Peripetchikoff

1961
Blind Justice

as Dr. Leupold

1961
Always Trouble with the Bed

as Luigi Papagallo

1961
Towarisch

as Dimitri Gorotschenko

1960
1960
1960
Pension Schöller

as Fritz Bernhardi

1960
Der Traum des Mr. Borton

as Martin Borton

1959
Die Irre von Chaillot

as Präsident

1959
Entscheidung

as Lajos Morva

1959
Der Mann im Manne

as Ed Keller

1959
The Peter Tchaikovsky Story

as Anton Rubinstein

1959
The Last Blitzkrieg

as Sergeant Steiner

1959
Rebel Flight to Cuba

as General Cordobas

1955
Spy Chasers

as Alex Baxis

1955
Matinee Theater

as General Rabat

1954
Valley of the Kings

as Valentine Arko, Antique Dealer

1954
Secret of the Incas

as Anton Marcu

1954
Knock on Wood

as Laslo Gromeck

1953
The Veils of Bagdad

as Pasha Hammam

1953
Three Lives

as Dr. Stein

1953
The Robe

as Abidor

1953
China Venture

as Wu King

1953
South Sea Woman

as Pierre Marchand

1953
Desert Legion

as Major Vasil

1953
Road to Bali

as King Ramayana

1952
Assignment: Paris

as Franz (uncredited)

1952
1952
Adventures of Superman

as Joseph Ferdinand

1950
1950
Lux Video Theatre

as Mike Czerny

1950
Lux Video Theatre

as Felix Bassenak

Writer

1939
Immediate Call

as Writer