Actor. Born Claude Marion Akins in Nelson, Georgia, the son of Maude and Ernest Akins, he grew up in Bedford, Indiana, where his father worked as a stonecutter and a police officer. During the Second World War, he served with the U.S. Signal Corps during World War II in the Pacific. After war's end, he was graduated from Northwestern University with a major in speech and theater. He took a job as a limestone salesman before joining the Barter Theater touring company of 'The Comedy of Errors' where he trained in his craft. Eventually making his way to New York, he landed a small part in the Broadway production of 'The Rose Tattoo.' He later answered a Columbia Pictures casting call and earned the part of Sergeant Baldy Thom in his feature film debut, 'From Here to Eternity' (1953), launching a long career as a Hollywood character actor. He appeared in such films as 'The Caine Mutiny' (1954), 'The Defiant Ones; (1958), 'Rio Bravo' (1959), 'Inherit the Wind' (1960), 'How the West Was Won' (1962), 'Merrill's Marauders' (1962), and 'The Devil's Brigade' (1968) often playing dark characters. He also began making guest appearances on television in such shows as 'Dragnet,' 'Gunsmoke,' 'I Love Lucy,' 'The Rifleman,' 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,' 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,' 'Bonanza,' and 'The Untouchables,' among many others. By the 1970s, his film appearances dwindled to just six, including 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' (1973), while his television presence grew to include a starring roll in the series 'Movin' On' which ran from 1974 to 1976, and the part of Sheriff Elroy Lobo, the antagonist in the series, 'B.J. and the Bear' which ran from 1978 to 1979. His character, however, was spun off, and his follow up series, 'The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo' ran until 1981. During the 1980s, he returned to guest roles, including recurring characters in 'Murder, She Wrote,' 'Dream West,' and 'Hunter.' He also branched out into radio and television commercials for a variety of products. His last film role was in the feature 'Twisted Fear' in 1994.
Actor. Born Claude Marion Akins in Nelson, Georgia, the son of Maude and Ernest Akins, he grew up in Bedford, Indiana, where his father worked as a stonecutter and a police officer. During the Second World War, he served with the U.S. Signal Corps during World War II in the Pacific. After war's end, he was graduated from Northwestern University with a major in speech and theater. He took a job as a limestone salesman before joining the Barter Theater touring company of 'The Comedy of Errors' where he trained in his craft. Eventually making his way to New York, he landed a small part in the Broadway production of 'The Rose Tattoo.' He later answered a Columbia Pictures casting call and earned the part of Sergeant Baldy Thom in his feature film debut, 'From Here to Eternity' (1953), launching a long career as a Hollywood character actor. He appeared in such films as 'The Caine Mutiny' (1954), 'The Defiant Ones; (1958), 'Rio Bravo' (1959), 'Inherit the Wind' (1960), 'How the West Was Won' (1962), 'Merrill's Marauders' (1962), and 'The Devil's Brigade' (1968) often playing dark characters. He also began making guest appearances on television in such shows as 'Dragnet,' 'Gunsmoke,' 'I Love Lucy,' 'The Rifleman,' 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,' 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.,' 'Bonanza,' and 'The Untouchables,' among many others. By the 1970s, his film appearances dwindled to just six, including 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes' (1973), while his television presence grew to include a starring roll in the series 'Movin' On' which ran from 1974 to 1976, and the part of Sheriff Elroy Lobo, the antagonist in the series, 'B.J. and the Bear' which ran from 1978 to 1979. His character, however, was spun off, and his follow up series, 'The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo' ran until 1981. During the 1980s, he returned to guest roles, including recurring characters in 'Murder, She Wrote,' 'Dream West,' and 'Hunter.' He also branched out into radio and television commercials for a variety of products. His last film role was in the feature 'Twisted Fear' in 1994.
Bio by: Iola
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