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 Broad-shouldered and beefy Claude Akins had wavy black hair, a deep booming voice and was equally adept at playing sneering cowardly villains as he was at portraying hard-nosed cops. The son of a police officer, Akins never seemed short of work and appeared in nearly 100 films and 180+ TV episodes in a career spanning over 40 years. He originally attended Northwestern University, and went on to serve with the US Army Signal Corps in World War II in Burma and the Phillipines. Upon returning, he reignited his interest in art and drama and first appeared in front of the camera in 1953 in From Here to Eternity (1953). He quickly began notching up roles in such TV shows as Dragnet (1951), My Friend Flicka (1955), Gunsmoke (1955) and Zane Grey Theatre (1956). He also turned in several strong cinematic performances, such as gunfighter Joe Burdette in the landmark western Rio Bravo (1959), Mack in the excellent The Defiant Ones (1958), Sgt. Kolwicz in Merrill's Marauders (1962) and Earl Sylvester in the gripping The Killers (1964). In the early 1970s Akins turned up in several supernatural TV films playing "no-nonsense" sheriffs in both The Night Stalker (1972) and The Norliss Tapes (1973), and was unrecognizable underneath his simian make-up as war-mongering Gen. Aldo in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Akins continued starring in films and TV right up until the time of his death from cancer in 1994. By all reports a very gregarious, likable and friendly person off screen, Akins was married for over 40 years to Theresa "Pie" Fairfield, and had three children, Claude Marion Jr., Michele & Wendy.
Bio:
Broad-shouldered and beefy Claude Akins had wavy black hair, a deep booming voice and was equally adept at playing sneering cowardly villains as he was at portraying hard-nosed cops. The son of a police officer, Akins never seemed short of work and appeared in nearly 100 films and 180+ TV episodes in a career spanning over 40 years. He originally attended Northwestern University, and went on to serve with the US Army Signal Corps in World War II in Burma and the Phillipines. Upon returning, he reignited his interest in art and drama and first appeared in front of the camera in 1953 in From Here to Eternity (1953). He quickly began notching up roles in such TV shows as Dragnet (1951), My Friend Flicka (1955), Gunsmoke (1955) and Zane Grey Theatre (1956). He also turned in several strong cinematic performances, such as gunfighter Joe Burdette in the landmark western Rio Bravo (1959), Mack in the excellent The Defiant Ones (1958), Sgt. Kolwicz in Merrill's Marauders (1962) and Earl Sylvester in the gripping The Killers (1964). In the early 1970s Akins turned up in several supernatural TV films playing "no-nonsense" sheriffs in both The Night Stalker (1972) and The Norliss Tapes (1973), and was unrecognizable underneath his simian make-up as war-mongering Gen. Aldo in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Akins continued starring in films and TV right up until the time of his death from cancer in 1994. By all reports a very gregarious, likable and friendly person off screen, Akins was married for over 40 years to Theresa "Pie" Fairfield, and had three children, Claude Marion Jr., Michele & Wendy.
Tivia:
Served as a Master Sergeant in the US Army Signal Corps during World War II.He was always very friendly to everyone and was very gracious in signing every autograph request.During the 1980s and 1990s, Akins appeared in many television commercials as the spokesmen for AAMCO transmission, with the slogan "Double A, [honk, honk], M, C, O".First performed at the age of 5 in a church play in which he played a bird.Akins majored in speech and theater at Northwestern University. Later, he trained at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia in the late 1940s and toured in such shows as "The Hasty Heart" and "The Comedy of Errors". He made his Broadway debut in a small, uncredited role in "The Rose Tattoo" in 1951.Although not known as a singer, Akins co-hosted the 15th Academy of Country Music Awards. He also sang in an episode of Movin' On (1974).The son of Ernest, a former stonecutter who later became a policeman, and Maude Akins, Claude had an older sister named Hazel. The family moved from Nelson, Georgia to Bedford, Indiana when Claude was six months old. Bedford, Indiana, hosts the Claude Akins Memorial Golf Scramble each September. The tournament is a 6-person scramble format. Proceeds from the scramble fund two scholarships for graduating seniors of the local high school, Bedford-North Lawrence.Played chess with his friend, William Windom.Appeared with From Here to Eternity (1953) co-star George Reeves in Peril by Sea (1956) in 1956.Before acting he was a limestone salesman.Appeared with Andy Griffith in "Onionhead: and "Matlock: The Thoroughbred".Claude Akins lost his bid to be elected President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1975. The winner was Kathy Nolan (The Real McCoys).Appeared with his Movin' On (1972) costar, Frank Converse in Killer on Board (1977).Invested well in later years in a shopping center in the San Fernando Valley and in a 69-house development in Vista, California.A lifelong golfer, he played in a lot of pro-am golf tournaments for various charities right up until his death, including the Vantage Championship Pro-Am at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina, in the early 1990s. He was a close friend and golfing partner of another golf fanatic and veteran movie heavy, Robert J. Wilke.Appeared with Sidney Poitier in two films, "Porgy and Bess" and "The Defiant Ones".He has an entry in Jean Tulard's "Dictionnaire du cin��ma/Les acteurs" published in Paris in 2007 by Robert Laffont/Bouquins, pg. 17 (ISBN: 978-2-221-10895-6).In May 1993 Claude Akins lost half his stomach to cancer surgery. |
| Name: |
Claude Akins |
Type: |
Actor,Soundtrack (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
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Business scope: |
Actor,Soundtrack |
| Products for sale: |
Actor,Soundtrack |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 05:09:11 |
| Height: |
6' 1' (1.85 m) |
| Biography: |
Broad-shouldered and beefy Claude Akins had wavy black hair, a deep booming voice and was equally adept at playing sneering cowardly villains as he was at portraying hard-nosed cops. The son of a police officer, Akins never seemed short of work and a |
| Trivia: |
Served as a Master Sergeant in the US Army Signal Corps during World War II.He was always very friendly to everyone and was very gracious in signing every autograph request.During the 1980s and 1990s, Akins appeared in many television commercials as the spokesmen for AAMCO transmission, with the slogan "Double A, [honk, honk], M, C, O".First performed at the age of 5 in a church play in which he played a bird.Akins majored in speech and theater at Northwestern University. Later, he trained at the Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia in the late 1940s and toured in such shows as "The Hasty Heart" and "The Comedy of Errors". He made his Broadway debut in a small, uncredited role in "The Rose Tattoo" in 1951.Although not known as a singer, Akins co-hosted the 15th Academy of Country Music Awards. He also sang in an episode of Movin' On (1974).The son of Ernest, a former stonecutter who later became a policeman, and Maude Akins, Claude had an older sister named Hazel. The family moved from Nelson, Georgia to Bedford, Indiana when Claude was six months old. Bedford, Indiana, hosts the Claude Akins Memorial Golf Scramble each September. The tournament is a 6-person scramble format. Proceeds from the scramble fund two scholarships for graduating seniors of the local high school, Bedford-North Lawrence.Played chess with his friend, William Windom.Appeared with From Here to Eternity (1953) co-star George Reeves in Peril by Sea (1956) in 1956.Before acting he was a limestone salesman.Appeared with Andy Griffith in "Onionhead: and "Matlock: The Thoroughbred".Claude Akins lost his bid to be elected President of the Screen Actors Guild in 1975. The winner was Kathy Nolan (The Real McCoys).Appeared with his Movin' On (1972) costar, Frank Converse in Killer on Board (1977).Invested well in later years in a shopping center in the San Fernando Valley and in a 69-house development in Vista, California.A lifelong golfer, he played in a lot of pro-am golf tournaments for various charities right up until his death, including the Vantage Championship Pro-Am at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, North Carolina, in the early 1990s. He was a close friend and golfing partner of another golf fanatic and veteran movie heavy, Robert J. Wilke.Appeared with Sidney Poitier in two films, "Porgy and Bess" and "The Defiant Ones".He has an entry in Jean Tulard's "Dictionnaire du cin��ma/Les acteurs" published in Paris in 2007 by Robert Laffont/Bouquins, pg. 17 (ISBN: 978-2-221-10895-6).In May 1993 Claude Akins lost half his stomach to cancer surgery. |
| Quotes: |
Between the war movies I've been in and the heavies I've played, I have about 1,000 dead behind me. I've been killed a good many times, but I took a lot of guys with me.
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I was very fortunate that I get paid for what I love to do. I know a lot of good actors who simply can't find work. Every time I get a job, I say to myself, 'You've beaten the odds.'
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[on his role in From Here to Eternity (1953)] My first scene on film was where I walk into the office and report Private Prewitt absent to Sergeant Warden, played by Burt Lancaster -- and I was scared to death. Burt was one of the big stars of that era, but still very nice. Fred Zinnemann, the director, was extremely patient and understanding. And somehow I got through it. My panic has always been the time right up to the end of my first scene. Once that first shot is in the can, I'm home free.
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A guy who looks like Robert Redford will most often be cast as a hero. A guy like me or Ernie Borgnine plays a lot of heavies. If you're big, they think you're tough. And if you're tough, they think you're dumb.
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Hell, acting is acting, whether it's for the movies, TV or the stage, |
| Salaries: |
The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo (1979) - $50,000 per 1 hour episode |
| Job title: |
Actor,Soundtrack |
| Others works: |
(1980s-90s) TV commercial: AAMCO Transmissions.
(1971) Unsold pilot: Appeared in a sitcom pilot for ABC called "Big Man, Little Man" playing a trapper during the gold-rush days of the mid-1800s who promised his best friend that he'd guide |
| Spouse: |
Theresa Fairfield (August 25, 1952 - January 27, 1994) (his death, 3 children) |
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