
Cast
Leon Askin
Acting
Cast
Leon Askin
Known for
Acting
Born
1907-09-18
From
Vienna, Austria
Died
2005-06-03
Also known as Leo Aschkenasy
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.

Airplane II: The Sequel
as Moscow Anchorman

The Robe
as Abidor

One, Two, Three
as Peripetchikoff

Genesis II
as Overseer

Assignment: Paris
as Franz (uncredited)

What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?
as Colonel Kastorp

Double Trouble
as Inspector de Groote

A Fine Pair
as Chief Wellman

Three Lives
as Dr. Stein

The Maltese Bippy
as Axel Kronstadt

The World's Greatest Athlete
as Dr. Gottlieb

Guns for San Sebastian
as Vicar General

John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
as Samir

Road to Bali
as King Ramayana

Savage Island
as Luker

Do Not Disturb
as Langsdorf

The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
as Flocke

Valley of the Kings
as Valentine Arko, Antique Dealer

The Caper of the Golden Bulls
as Morchek

The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz
as Oscar

Going Ape!
as Zebrewski

Desert Legion
as Major Vasil

Secret of the Incas
as Anton Marcu

Ene mene muh – und tot bist du

Frightmare
as Wolfgang

Hammersmith Is Out
as Dr. Krodt

Odd Jobs
as Don Carlucci

Die Fernsehsaga – Eine steirische Fernsehgeschichte
as alter Adler

Knock on Wood
as Laslo Gromeck

China Venture
as Wu King

Lucrezia
as Alessandro VI

Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace
as Charles

OcchioPinocchio
as Lo psichiatra

South Sea Woman
as Pierre Marchand

The Perils of Pauline
as Commissar

First Strike

Rebel Flight to Cuba
as General Cordobas

Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls
as Thor

Bis dass das Geld euch scheidet…
as Anwalt Dr. Plauert

Der Schinderhannes

The Peter Tchaikovsky Story
as Anton Rubinstein

The Veils of Bagdad
as Pasha Hammam

Der Traum des Mr. Borton
as Martin Borton

Lulu
as Medizinalrat Dr. Goll

The Last Blitzkrieg
as Sergeant Steiner

Deadly Love

Fear of Heights
as Vater Gusenleitner

Mistress of the World - Part II
as Fernando

Blind Justice
as Dr. Leupold

Death Knocks Twice
as Peppe Mangano

Verurteilt 1910
as Regierungsrat Stukart

Die Bräute
as Rutte

Weit ist der Weg
as Luiz

Spy Chasers
as Alex Baxis

Carolina Cannonball
as Otto

Kubanisch rauchen
as Waranovsky

Towarisch
as Dimitri Gorotschenko

Hitler Stole My Ideas

Pension Schöller
as Fritz Bernhardi

Parapsycho: Spectrum of Fear

Die gelbe Nachtigall
as Jason

Mistress of the World - Part I
as Fernando

God's Police Patrol
as Felix

Always Trouble with the Bed
as Luigi Papagallo

Perahim - die zweite Chance

Der Mann im Manne
as Ed Keller

Glück auf Raten

Black Flamingos - Sie lieben euch zu Tode

Die Irre von Chaillot
as Präsident

Entscheidung
as Lajos Morva

Leon Askin - (Über)Leben und Schauspiel. Private Anmerkungen
as Himself