Robert Clary Biography
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- Born March 1, 1926
Robert Clary (born Robert Max Widerman; March 1, 1926 β November 16, 2022) was a French actor who was mainly active in the United States. He is best known for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau on the television sitcom Hogan's Heroes (1965β1971). He also had recurring roles on the soap operas Days of Our Lives (1972β1987), and The Bold and the Beautiful (1990β1992).
Born in 1926 in Paris, France, Clary was the youngest of 14 children, 10 of whom died in the Holocaust. His parents, Baila and Moishe Widerman, were Polish Jewish immigrants. At age 12, he began a career singing professionally on a French radio station and also studied art in Paris. In 1942, because he was Jewish, he was deported to the Nazi concentration camp at Ottmuth, in Upper Silesia (now OtmΔt, Poland). He was tattooed with the identification "A5714" on his left forearm. He was later sent to Buchenwald concentration camp.
At Buchenwald, Clary sang to an audience of SS soldiers every other Sunday, accompanied by an accordionist. He said, "Singing, entertaining, and being in kind of good health at my age, that's why I survived. I was very immature and young and not really fully realizing what situation I was involved withΒ ... I don't know if I would have survived if I really knew that."
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