Claude Akins

During the World War II, he served with the US Army Signal Corps in Burma as well as in the Philippines. After the war, he studied theatre at the Northwestern University from where he graduated in 1949. He was also a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.

Akins was married to Theresa Fairfield from 1952 till his death. The couple had three children. He suffered from cancer in his later years and died of the disease on January 27, 1994.

Claude Akins’ first role on the big screen was in the 1953 drama film ‘From Here to Eternity’. The film, which was directed by Fred Zinnemann, was a huge commercial and critical success. It won a total of eight Oscars. The following year, he played a minor role in the Navy drama film ‘The Caine Mutiny’. Directed by Edward Dmytryk, the film was nominated for several Oscars though it won none.

Over the next years, he was seen in several movies, such as ‘The Human Jungle’ (1954), ‘The Burning Hills’ (1956), ‘The Defiant Ones’ (1958), ‘Don’t Give Up the Ship (1959), ‘Inherit the Wind’ (1959), ‘A Distant Trumpet (1964), ‘Return of the Seven’ (1966), ‘The Devil’s Brigade’ (1968), ‘The Night Stalker’ (1972), ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’ (1973) and ‘Concrete Cowboys (1979). Some of the last films of his career are ‘The Monster in the Closet’ (1986), ‘The Curse’ (1987) and ‘Falling from Grace’ (1992).

Akins also gained fame for his work on TV. His most remarkable performance was seen in the show ‘B.J. and the Bear’, which started in 1979 and aired till 1981. As his role as Sheriff Lobo was much appreciated, a spin-off series was created named ‘The Adventures of Sheriff Lobo’. He also played guest roles in shows, such as ‘The Adventures of Superman,’ ’77 Sunset Strip,’ ‘The Twilight Zone,’ and ‘The Guns of Will Sonnett’.