Leon Askin
Known for Acting · 104 credits
- Born
- 1907-09-18
- Died
- 2005-06-03
- Place of birth
- Vienna, Austria
- 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.
Known For
TV Shows (33)
Mission: Impossible
1966
as Riva
Hogan's Heroes
1965
as Burkhalter
Matinee Theater
1955
as General Rabat
Happy Days
1974
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
1963
The F.B.I.
1965
as Arnold Bebenek
Daniel Boone
1964
as Roquelin
Three's Company
1977
The Outer Limits
1963
as Shop Superintendent
Inspector Rex
1994
as Nachbar
The Monkees
1966
as Nicolai
Switch
1975
as Prince Dimitri Marenka
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
1964
as Marvin Elom / David X. Machina
The 20th Century Fox Hour
1955
Felony Squad
1966
Telephone Time
1956
Adventures of Superman
1952
as Prime Minister Frederick Vallen
Studio 57
1954
Honey West
1965
as The Count
Lux Video Theatre
1950
as Gustave / Felix Bassenak / Mike Czerny
Medicopter 117 – Jedes Leben zählt
1998
as Francesco Del la Ribiola
General Electric True
1962
Saints and Sinners
1962
as Baron
The Man Behind the Badge
1953
Biff Baker U.S.A.
1952
as Reicher
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
1951
as Drobash
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers
1956
It's About Time
1966
Meeting of Minds
1977
Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers
1974
Der schwarze Graf
1970
as Amschel Talmeier
Karl May
1977
as Klotz-Sello
Die Fernsehsaga – Eine steirische Fernsehgeschichte
1996
as alter Adler
Movies (71)
The Robe
1953
as Abidor
Airplane II: The Sequel
1982
as Moscow Anchorman
One, Two, Three
1961
as Peripetchikoff
Assignment: Paris
1952
as Franz (uncredited)
Genesis II
1973
as Overseer
John Goldfarb, Please Come Home!
1965
as Samir
Double Trouble
1967
as Inspector de Groote
Guns for San Sebastian
1967
as Vicar General
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?
1966
as Colonel Kastorp
The World's Greatest Athlete
1973
as Dr. Gottlieb
Road to Bali
1952
as King Ramayana
Savage Island
1985
as Luker
Do Not Disturb
1965
as Langsdorf
Three Lives
1953
as Dr. Stein
The Testament of Dr. Mabuse
1962
as Flocke
Frightmare
1983
as Wolfgang
Desert Legion
1953
as Major Vasil
The Maltese Bippy
1969
as Axel Kronstadt
Secret of the Incas
1954
as Anton Marcu
OcchioPinocchio
1994
as Lo psichiatra
The Wicked Dreams of Paula Schultz
1968
as Oscar
Hammersmith Is Out
1972
as Dr. Krodt
Going Ape!
1981
as Zebrewski
The Caper of the Golden Bulls
1967
as Morchek
A Fine Pair
1968
as Chief Wellman
Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace
1962
as Charles
Knock on Wood
1954
as Laslo Gromeck
Ene mene muh – und tot bist du
2001
China Venture
1953
as Wu King
The Perils of Pauline
1967
as Commissar
Lucrezia
1968
as Alessandro VI
South Sea Woman
1953
as Pierre Marchand
Rebel Flight to Cuba
1959
as General Cordobas
Valley of the Kings
1954
as Valentine Arko, Antique Dealer
First Strike
1985
Die Fernsehsaga – Eine steirische Fernsehgeschichte
1995
as alter Adler
The Veils of Bagdad
1953
as Pasha Hammam
The Peter Tchaikovsky Story
1959
as Anton Rubinstein
Bis dass das Geld euch scheidet…
1960
as Anwalt Dr. Plauert
Odd Jobs
1986
as Don Carlucci
Blind Justice
1961
as Dr. Leupold
Doctor Death: Seeker of Souls
1973
as Thor
Der Schinderhannes
1958
Verurteilt 1910
1974
as Regierungsrat Stukart
Spy Chasers
1955
as Alex Baxis
Death Knocks Twice
1969
as Peppe Mangano
Lulu
1962
as Medizinalrat Dr. Goll
Deadly Love
1995
The Last Blitzkrieg
1959
as Sergeant Steiner
Die gelbe Nachtigall
1975
as Jason
Carolina Cannonball
1955
as Otto
Kubanisch rauchen
1999
as Waranovsky
Mistress of the World - Part II
1960
as Fernando
Weit ist der Weg
1960
as Luiz
Perahim - die zweite Chance
1974
God's Police Patrol
1968
as Felix
Der Traum des Mr. Borton
1960
as Martin Borton
Always Trouble with the Bed
1961
as Luigi Papagallo
Pension Schöller
1960
as Fritz Bernhardi
Die Bräute
1998
as Rutte
Fear of Heights
1994
as Vater Gusenleitner
Hitler Stole My Ideas
1994
Der Mann im Manne
1959
as Ed Keller
Black Flamingos - Sie lieben euch zu Tode
1998
Mistress of the World - Part I
1960
as Fernando
Glück auf Raten
1996
Parapsycho: Spectrum of Fear
1975
Towarisch
1961
as Dimitri Gorotschenko
Die Irre von Chaillot
1959
as Präsident
Entscheidung
1959
as Lajos Morva
Leon Askin - (Über)Leben und Schauspiel. Private Anmerkungen
1997
as Himself
About Leon Askin
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 o… With 104 credits spanning from 1950 to 2001, Leon Askin has appeared in 71 films and 33 TV shows.
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Most Popular Leon Askin Movies
- The Robe (1953) — as Abidor
- Airplane II: The Sequel (1982) — as Moscow Anchorman
- One, Two, Three (1961) — as Peripetchikoff
- Assignment: Paris (1952) — as Franz (uncredited)
- Genesis II (1973) — as Overseer
Where to Watch Leon Askin Films
Most Leon Askin movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Leon Askin, check our movies catalogue and browse page.