Claude Marion Akins Wiki, Net Worth, Career, TV Series, Early Life and Death

Published Date 27th Aug. 2017, 00:31 am

Quick Info

Birth Name:	claude marion akins
Nationality:	American

Claude Akins was an American actor. He was born on 25 May 1926, and died due to cancer at the age of 67 on 27 January 1994. His birth sign is Gemini. He spent his life as an actor for a long time on television, stage and film industry. He had wavy black hair, a deep and powerful voice and can be fit for both good and bad roles in films and television. Akins is mostly recognized for his role in the TV series titled B. J. and the Bear as Sheriff Lobo, and later in a spin-off series entitled The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo. He is also remembered for his role in a TV series Movin’ On by NBC. He also made a great career in the film industry by casting in the movies like The Caine Mutiny, From Here to Eternity, The Devil’s Brigade and many others hit movies.

Early Life

Claude was born in city called Nelson, Georgia, USA. He was raised in Bedford, Indiana. His parents were Ernest Marion Akins and Anna Maude Akins. His father was a policeman by profession and mother was a simple housewife. His father was actually a stonecutter before he was in the police. He also had an elder sister whose name was Hazel. During his early days, Akins also worked as a salesman in Indiana. He was admitted to Northwestern University located in Evanston, Illinois. But he left his study to join the US Army. Akins served as the master sergeant in the U.S. military SC during Second World War in the Philippines and Myanmar. He had much interest in acting and drama. When he returned from the army, he rejoined Northwestern University to study about theater. He also appeared as a representative of a college fraternity. He completed major in theater and speech. He graduated from the Northwestern University in 1949.

Career

Claude Akins made his Broadway debut through a play “The Rose Tattoo” in 1951 where he played a small and uncreditable role. He appeared as an actor for the first time in front of the camera in a film From Here to Eternity which was released in 1953. The movie also succeeded to win Academy Awards. He appeared in the film The Caine Mutiny in a role of a shipmate and mariner of an actor Lee Marvin. The movie was released in 1954. He also portrayed a role of Joe Burdette, a prisoner in the film Rio Bravo along with the various actors including John Wayne. He also cast in a role as Navy Lieutenant Commander in the film Don’t Give Up the Ship along with the star cast Jerry Lewis and also acted in Merrill’s Marauders in a role as Sgt Kolowicz.

Akins was cast as Rockman “Rocky” in The Devil’s Brigade and also as Jeremiah Brown in the film Inherit the Wind which was aired in 1964. The Same year, he played a role of crooked Ben Lane for the movie Comanche Station which was directed by Budd Boetticher. He cast in a film A Distant Trumpet (1964) in a role of Wesley Jone. Akins played as the head of gorilla named Aldo in the last original Apes movie Battle for the Planet of the Apes released in 1973 which was directed by J. Lee Thompson. He appeared in a small part along with John Wayne in the film The Sea Chase. He appeared in the movie Return of the Seven and the movie was released in 1966. Akins also cast in the movie titled Seasons of the Heart which was released in 1993. This movie is also the last movie of Claude Akins.

Television

Claude Akins appeared as an actor in a numerous television movies and series that includes I Love Lucy and The Adventures of Superman. He played a role of the criminal traitor named Crusader. Most of his acts are on westerns type genre that includes Frontier, The Tall Man, My Friend Flicka, The Restless Gun, Wagon Train, Overland Trail, Sheriff of Cochise, Frontier Circus, The Big Valley, The Rebel, Daniel Boone, The Legend of Jesse James, Death Valley Days, Dick Powell’s Zane Grey Theatre, Rawhide, The Rifleman, Gunsmoke, The Alaskans, The Texan and Bonanza. Akins cast only once on shows like Richard Diamond, Empire, Private Detective, Laredo, The Oregon Trail and Pony Express.

Akins played as rodeo performer condemned of armed loot in an episode “Killer on Horseback,” of the series titled Star Stage. This episode was also later showed as “Rodeo Rough House” on the regular series. Akins mostly appeared together with Garland in the episode titled “The Chooser of the Slain” of the western series titled The Dakotas in 1963. Akins also portrayed as Sheriff Dark in an episode “Queens Of Diamonds” of the series Laramie by NBC along with the series actors John Smith and Robert Fuller on 20 September 1960. Akins also appeared in 2 episodes “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” and “The Little People” of the series The Twilight Zone by CBS. He was also seen as the special guest appearance in about three episodes of a fourth and fifth season of the series The Untouchables. Akins also cast on early allied series titled City Detective by Rod Cameron. He also appeared in the drama entitled Police Story by ABC and The Roaring 20s.

In 1960, Akins cast in the episode called “Amateur Night” of a crime drama series Dan Raven along with Marty Ingels. Skip Homeier was the star cast of the series and the set of the series was located on the famous Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. Akins also appeared early in a role of a police in an anthology series entitled “Place of Shadows” and “Reward to Finder” which were released in 1956 and 1957 respectively. He also played another role of gracious police in the episodes from 1 to 26 of the legal drama series Perry Mason season 1 which was released on 15 March 1958. He also cast in a episode of the first season of series Maverick in 1958.

In 1965 he cast in a role as El Supremo for the episode of the spy TV series entitled “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” which was telecasted between 1964 and 1968. In 1967, he played a role of Lieutenant Finch in an episode entitled “Lucy Meets the Law,” where he investigates Lucy who is a grand crime suspect. Akins also appeared in the episode titled as “One Monday Afternoon” in a role as Lou Myerson of the drama TV series entitled Mr. Novak by NBC. In 1965, Akins was highlighted in a role as German spy in Kraft Suspense Theater’s episode and also gave a remarkable performance in a western TV series as the leader of a family migrated from Ireland. He also appeared in a role of trucker owner Sonny Pruitt in a series Movin’ On, aired between 1974 and 1976 where he starred in more than 40 episodes and also a TV movie entitled “In Tandem.”

Akins is mainly recognized for his character as Sheriff Elroy P. Lobo in the comedy series titled B.J. and the Bear and he also continued his role of Sheriff Lobo as a reappearing character. The series was aired on NBC between 1979 and 1981. Sheriff Lobo hated B.J in the series and he steadily raided and attempted to imprison BJ with no reasons whereas B.J always got ideas to ruin Lobo’s plans to trap him. He also cast in the temporary series entitled The Master as the owner of a small airfield which was released in 1984. He was one of the famous actor during late 1970s. He did ovation TV ads for PoliGrip, AAMCO Transmissions and Rollins Truck Leasing. His last role in TV shows was in series In the Heat of the Night where he portrayed a role of a kidnapper. The series was aired in 1991. He was one of the talented actors of his generation with his perfect and incomparable voice. Akins appeared in about 50 movies and 400 TV shows. He also created a video playing golf entitled Tom Kite and Friends along with Masak.

Personal Life and Death

Claude Akins married with Theresa Fairfield on 25 August 1952. The couple also has three children i.e. two daughters and one son. His son name is Claude Akins Jr., and daughters are Wendy and Michelle. He also used to define himself as the highest paid unknown of Hollywood. Akins died on Thursday afternoon on 27 January 1994 leaving his wife and children. He died in his own home located in Altadena at the age of 75 due to cancer. He had been suffering from cancer for about a year. His death was a loss of a fine actor in Hollywood. His last funeral Mass was done on Saturday at St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church located in Altadena, California.

Others

During the late 1940s, Claude Akins also gained training at the Barter Theater located in Abingdon, Virginia and he also participated in a tour in various shows like “The Hasty Heart” and “The Comedy of Errors”. He also performed the act as a bird in a play held in a church when he was only 5 years old. Before appearing on a TV as an actor, he used to work as a limestone salesman. Though he was a top actor, his character was always friendly for everyone and he was also very kind in giving autographs to his fans. Akins also had an investment in a shopping center located in the San Fernando Valley as well as in a 69-house development in Vista, California. Claude Akins also participated in various golf tournaments for charities and raising funds for the social organization until his death.

During the early 1990s, he also played in the Vantage Championship Pro-Am which was held at Tanglewood Park located in Clemmons, North Carolina. He was very close with Robert J. Wilkie who was also an actor and fond of playing golf. The Claude Akins Memorial Golf Classic tournament is also held annually in the memory of Claude Akins in Bedford. The funds received from the ceremony are provided as the Bedford Recreation Foundation Scholarship and also as Akins Scholarship to the graduate students of Bedford North High School. The funds are also utilized for various projects that include recreation and developments.

TV Series