Leon Askin

Leon Askin was a renowned Austrian character actor who was featured in a wide array of American productions. As a young man, Askin became a successful stage actor in his homeland, and he relocated to the United States in 1940 to escape Nazi persecution. After serving in the American military in World War II, Askin found plenty of roles in Hollywood, playing characters of widely varying ethnicities. During the '50s, he had notable supporting parts in the feature films "Road to Bali" and "The Robe," before shifting more to television work. In late '50s and early '60s, Askin voiced the character of Fearless Leader on the animated series "Rocky and His Friends" and, in '65, he began portraying the imposing General Burkhalter on the hit sitcom "Hogan's Heroes." Outside of a prominent role in the Billy Wilder comedy "One, Two, Three," Askin primarily had small parts in films and TV shows, but he racked up an impressive resume over the decades, with more than 125 screen credits to his name by the time he died in 2007.