Longtime French actor, singer and Holocaust survivor Robert Clary, known for his lead role in "Hogan's Heroes," has died at age 96.

Clary -- named Robert Max Widerman at birth -- was born March 1, 1926, in France and forced into internment in a Nazi concentration camp as a child. At age 27, he moved to United States to pursue his career.

He started singing and entertaining at the age of 12 and was 16 when his family was sent to Auschwitz, where his parents were murdered in the gas chamber. Clary said that his ability to entertain was key to staying alive - he performed in front of SS soldiers every other week - as he was the only person among his captured relatives to survive amid his 31-month incarceration in concentration camps.

Clary is most notable for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the World War II-centered sitcom "Hogan's Heroes." Before his death, Clary was the last living cast member from the series' original principal cast. The CBS sitcom which ran for six seasons from September 1965 to April 1971.

He opened up about the juxtaposition of working on the WWII series amid his real-life experiences in his 2001 memoir From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes.

"I had to explain that [Hogan's Heroes] was about prisoners of war in a stalag, not a concentration camp," Clary said. "And although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps."

In 1949, he appeared on "The Ed Wynn Show" and performed a French language comedy skit while still learning English. He later took his role in "Hogan's Heroes" in 1965. He also appeared in several film roles, including "Remembrance of Love," "Days of Our Lives" and "The Young and the Restless."

In 1965, he married "It Takes Two" actress Natalie Cantor. They were married for 32 years until her death in 1997. — Raquel "Rocky" Harris, The Wrap





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022-11-17 08:08 by The Sicilian.

My Dad, also born in 1926 and also a WWII veteran, used to watch that show. It always struck me as rather odd that something as terrible as the Second World War would be depicted in a situation comedy just 20 years after the fact, but maybe it was something the veterans wanted and needed, as a way of helping them process their trauma and grief.

Man I remember watching reruns of that show with my dad growing up. Another era passed. I see nothing. Noooooothing. Lol. Great memories.

I had no idea he was a holocaust survivor. RIP sir.

Very sad but lived long life

RIP

RIP Mr. Clary. He did indeed lead a long, fascinating life of which I'm interested to read more about.

I believe that with Clary's passing, only Kenneth Washington remains with us as a principal cast member of Hogan's Heroes (though Washington was not an "original" cast member - he joined the cast for the final season).