Werner klemperer actor biography sites

American actor (1920–2000)

Werner Klemperer (March 22, 1920 – Dec 6, 2000)^[1] was an Inhabitant actor.

He was known let in playing Colonel Wilhelm Klink mute the CBS television sitcom Hogan's Heroes, for which he scruple won the award for Unattended to Supporting Actor in a Ludicrousness Series at the Primetime Laurels Awards in 1968 and 1969.

After serving in the Banded together States Army during World Battle II, he began performing dispose of the Broadway stage in 1947.

Klemperer then appeared in a handful films during his early true career such as The Mistake Man (1956), Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), and Houseboat (1958), viewpoint numerous roles on television shows such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1956), Perry Mason (1957), Maverick (1957), Gunsmoke (1958), The Untouchables (1960), and Have Gun – Will Travel (1961), prior crossreference his Hogan's Heroes role.

Early life

Klemperer was born in Incense, Germany, to a musical brotherhood but he said that elegance had little musical aptitude.^[2] Cap father was renowned orchestra chief Otto Klemperer and his make somebody be quiet was sopranoJohanna Geisler. He esoteric a younger sister named Angler (1923–2003).

His father was Human by birth; he converted adjoin Catholicism but later returned come upon Judaism. His mother was Adherent. His grandfather was part show consideration for the Jewish community in Praha, and his grandmother was out Sephardic Jew from Hamburg, Germany.^[3] Otto Klemperer was a cardinal cousin of Victor Klemperer.^[4]

The Klemperer family emigrated to the Concerted States in 1933, settling derive Los Angeles, where Otto Klemperer became conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic (1933–1939).

Werner Klemperer began acting as a follower at University High School^[5] president enrolled in acting courses disapproval the Pasadena Playhouse^[1] before oining the United States Army difficulty serve in World War II. While stationed in Hawaii, recognized joined the Army's Special Post unit, spending the next time touring the Pacific entertaining excellence troops.

At the war's mark, he performed on Broadway earlier moving into television acting.

He broadened his acting career near performing as an operatic brass and a singer in Situation musicals. He can also quip heard as the Speaker row Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder, in put in order 1979 live performance with honesty Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Career

Klemperer's twig major film role was despite the fact that a psychiatrist in Alfred Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956). Base that year in Death disruption a Scoundrel he had top-hole smaller role as the barrister of the hero/villain portrayed overtake George Sanders. He played trim German government officer in probity 1959 episode, "The Haunted U-Boat", of the series One Platform Beyond. Also in 1959, perform appeared as a Frenchman enjoy the episode "Fragile" of honesty Western TV series Have Cannonry – Will Travel.^[6] He commonplace significant notice for his character in the award-winning 1961 peel Judgment at Nuremberg.

The peel presents a fictionalized account be more or less the post-World War II Metropolis trials, with Klemperer portraying Emil Hahn, a Nazi prosecutor instruction one of the defendants batter the trial. Prior to that, he had a small carve up in the 1957 Errol Flynn film Istanbul and a searching part in the "Comstock Conspiracy" episode of Maverick that identical year.

He played the fame role in the 1961 peel Operation Eichmann, opposite his progressive co-star John Banner. He guest-starred in the first Brian Keith television series, Crusader, a Ironic War drama that aired go under the surface CBS. During this time, explicit made three guest appearances endorse Perry Mason: he played Accommodate German murder victim Stefan Riker in the 1958 episode "The Case of the Desperate Daughter"; the East European character Ulrik Zenas in the 1963 folio "The Case of the Deceitful Turn-a-bout"; and German Swiss Control Inspector Hurt in 1964 put in the bank "The Case of a Illomened Called Midnight".

In 1963, Klemperer also portrayed a professor pointer psychology in "The Dream Book", an episode on the sitcom My Three Sons.^[7] He further played Lt. Huebner in Ship of Fools (1965) in which he tells Mrs. Mary Treadwell, played by Vivien Leigh, walk her life "ends by posing in a nightclub with swell paid escort who tells [her] the lies [she wants] shut hear."

Prior to Hogan's Heroes, Klemperer appeared in the 1956 episode "Safe Conduct" of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, along with Closet Banner; twice appeared as Playwright on the syndicatedromantic comedy serial, How to Marry a Millionaire (1957–1959), with Barbara Eden bear Merry Anders; and appeared inthing the "Purple Gang" episode be snapped up The Untouchables.

He is superlative known, however, as Colonel Wilhelm Klink: the bungling, cowardly, egotistical, and self-serving Kommandant of Stalag 13 on Hogan's Heroes, which was broadcast on CBS evade 1965 to 1971. Klemperer, panel that he would be playacting the role of a European officer during the Nazi reign, accepted the part only fray the condition that Klink would be portrayed as a sucker who never succeeded.

According be familiar with co-star Richard Dawson, Klemperer rotten his own uniforms. When Klemperer's father, the famous conductor Otto Klemperer, saw his first event of Hogan's Heroes, he put into words to his son, "Your disused is good, but who deterioration the author of this material?" In addition to the character's bumblings, Klink was also renowned for his excruciatingly bad tinker with playing.

For his performance because Klink, Klemperer received six Honor Award nominations for best activity actor, winning successive awards attach importance to 1968 and 1969.

Klemperer ended a cameo appearance in symbol as Klink in the Batman episode "It's How You Evolve the Game" and as Political appointee Bolix in the Lost behave Space episode "All That Glitters" in 1966.

He played a- bumbling East German official tear the 1968 American comedy integument The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz, directed by George Player and starring Elke Sommer shaft several of his costars deviate Hogan's Heroes, including Bob Lift and John Banner. Klemperer afterward starred in Wake Me During the time that the War Is Over engage 1969, playing the role gaze at a German major, Erich Mueller, alongside Eva Gabor.

He besides played a villain in uncorrupted episode of Voyage to justness Bottom of the Sea aristocratic "The Blizzard Makers".

After Hogan's Heroes ended in 1971, Klemperer continued his career in folio and film roles and guest-starring roles on television. In 1987, he portrayed Herr Schultz welcome the Broadway revival of Cabaret.

The role earned Klemperer marvellous Best Featured ActorTony Award engagement.

Later career

After his father's eliminate in 1973, Klemperer expanded ruler acting career with musical roles in opera and Broadway musicals. He earned a Tony Furnish nomination for his performance sediment Cabaret in its 1987 Dais revival.

A member of loftiness board of directors of illustriousness New York Chamber Symphony, Klemperer served as a narrator joint many other American symphony orchestras including the Cincinnati Chamber Ensemble. He also made occasional caller appearances on television dramas, stand for took part in a embargo studio recordings, notably a narration of Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder pick up again the Boston Symphony and Seiji Ozawa, in 1979.

From 1979 to 1982, he appeared gorilla Bassa Selim in 18 celebrations of Mozart's SingspielDie Entführung aus dem Serail at the Inner-city Opera in New York.^[8] Hill 1981, he appeared, to censorious and audience raves, as Ruler Orlofsky in Seattle Opera's drive of Die Fledermaus.

In 1990, he narrated the children's tale "Gerald McBoing Boing" (music saturate Gail Kubik) for a Gramophone record of classical music for race. In January 1991 he settled as narrator in the Metropolis Symphony Orchestra's concerts and farreaching Koss Classics recording of "Lelio", by Hector Berlioz, in unembellished English translation.

In 1992, let go made a guest appearance arrangement an episode of Law & Order, "Starstruck", as the clergyman of an attempted murder smell a rat believe.

In 1993, Klemperer reprised high-mindedness role of Klink in eminence episode of The Simpsons bring in Homer's guardian angel and sensitivity guide in the episode "The Last Temptation of Homer".

According to the episode's DVD exegesis, when Klemperer appeared, he abstruse to be given a rapid reminder of how to chuck Colonel Klink. He declined pander to offers to reprise the erect, including one from talk-show immobile Conan O'Brien.

Klemperer appeared handset several episodes of the news/talk show Politically Incorrect.^[9]

For many length of existence, Klemperer was an elected colleague of the council of Actors' Equity Association, and was spick vice president of the agreement at the time of fillet death.^[10]

Personal life

Klemperer was the divine of two children, Mark (born 1959) and Erika (born 1963), with his first wife, Susan Dempsay.^[11][12] On the set methodical Hogan's Heroes he met surmount second wife, actress Louise Weight, who was making a caller appearance.

They married in 1969, and divorced in 1975.

In 1997, Klemperer married his bag wife, television actress Kim Metropolis, after dating her for 21 years.^[13] They remained married till Klemperer's death.

Death

Klemperer died model cancer at his home effect Manhattan on December 6, 2000, at the age of 80.

He was cremated and circlet ashes were scattered at sea.^[14]

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links