By Matthew Roscoe • Published: 20 Jan 2022 • 11:39
GERMAN actor Hardy Krüger, who starred in A Bridge Too Far and The One That Got Away, dies “suddenly and unexpectedly” aged 93, according to the actor’s agent. One of Germany’s most recognised post-war actors, Krüger was fluent in German, English and French which helped him bag some high-profile films including the leading role in the Oscar-winning Sundays and Cybele (1962). Noting that Krüger had died “suddenly and unexpectedly”, Peter Kaefferlein, who was Hardy’s Hamburg-based literary agent, added: “His warmth of heart, joie de vivre, and his unshakable sense of justice will make him unforgettable.” Krüger, who also starred in movies including Hatari!, The Flight of the Phoenix, and Wild Geese – passed away at his Californian home on Wednesday, January 19. Krüger starred in more than 60 films since 1944 and first came to the attention of English language audiences in the 1957 British war film The One That Got Away, the story of Franz von Werra, the only German prisoner of war to successfully escape from Allied custody and return to Germany. In A Bridge Too Far, Krüger played Karl Ludwig, a character based on Heinz Harmel, Division Commander of the 10th SS Panzer Division Frundsberg. The film directed by Richard Attenborough saw the German actor star alongside Dirk Bogarde, James Caan, Michael Caine and Sean Connery. Krüger himself served in the SS as a teenager in the last days of WWII but refused to shoot prisoners and narrowly escaped execution for cowardice after another SS officer countermanded the order.
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Originally from the UK, Matthew is based on the Costa Blanca and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.
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