Werner Klemperer, born on March 22, 1920 in Cologne Germany, was the son of renowned conductor Otto Klemperer and Johanna Geisler. In 1933 Otto emigrated to the United States to become the music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Werner and the rest of his family joined him in 1935 as aggressions were forming toward the Jewish citizens of Germany.
According to The Together We Served Database: "Werner Klemperer began acting in high school and enrolled in acting courses at the Pasadena Playhouse before joining the United States Army to serve in World War II. While stationed in Hawaii, he joined the Army's Special Services Unit, serving as a Recreation Specialist spending the next two years touring the Pacific entertaining the troops. At the end of the war, Werner was honorably discharged with the rank of Technician Fifth Grade."
After the war he returned to the Pasadena Playhouse to pursue a career in acting. After several appearances on Broadway, Werner first appeared on screen in the Alfred Hitchcock film "The Wrong Man." His first big break would come in the form of Stanley Kramer's "Judgment at Nuremberg" in 1961. Klemperer went on to star in the title role in the film "Operation Eichmann" in the same year. Additional film credits include ''The Goddess'' (1958), ''Flight to Hong Kong'' (1956) and ''Ship of Fools'' (1965). On the Broadway stage he appeared in such plays as the revival of ''Cabaret,'' in which he was nominated for a Tony in 1988.
From 1965 to 1971 Werner Klemperer co-starred in the CBS production "Hogan's Heroes" as Colonel Wilhelm Klink. Klemperer was nominated for Emmys for each of the six years he appeared on the show, and won twice, in 1968 and 1969, in the category of best supporting actor.
"Klemperer would later explain his decision to accept the role when it was first offered to him, by saying he presented the producers with a single condition: "If they ever wrote a segment whereby Colonel Klink would come out the hero, I would leave the show," a threat he never had to carry out." (Los Angeles Times)
Werner Klemperer passed away on December 6, 2000 at the age of 80 years old. Lest We Forget.
