Hardy Krüger

Hardy Krüger (born Eberhard August Franz Ewald Krüger; 12 April 1928 – 19 January 2022) was a German actor and author who appeared in more than 60 films beginning in 1944. After establishing himself as a major film star in Germany during the 1950s, he transitioned to prominent international film roles. Fluent in German, English, and French, he became widely recognized for his performances in both European and American cinema.

Born in Wedding, Berlin, Krüger was the son of Max and Auguste Krüger. From 1941, he attended an elite Adolf Hitler School at Ordensburg Sonthofen. At age 15, he made his screen debut in Alfred Weidenmann's film The Young Eagles. During this project, he met actor Hans Söhnker, a covert anti-Nazi who sheltered fugitives. Söhnker helped educate Krüger and involved him in delivering messages to those fleeing the regime.

In March 1945, Krüger was assigned to the 38th SS Grenadier Division Nibelungen. After refusing an order to shoot at an American squad, he was sentenced to death for cowardice, but another SS officer countermanded the execution. This event marked Krüger's break with Nazism. He subsequently served as an SS messenger, eventually escaped, and hid in Tyrol. Captured by U.S. forces, he made three escape attempts, succeeding on the third. In his later years, he spoke publicly against extremism as a member of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation.

Following the war, Krüger resumed his acting career through small stage roles, unable to afford acting school. He became a leading German film actor in the 1950s, appearing in works such as Die Jungfrau auf dem Dach (1953). Finding the German Heimatfilm cinema shallow, he sought international projects. His English-language breakthrough came with the 1957 British war film The One That Got Away, playing real-life prisoner of war Franz von Werra.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Krüger starred in numerous international productions, frequently cast in German soldier roles due to his blond hair and blue eyes. His notable work included the Oscar-winning Sundays and Cybèle (1962), Howard Hawks's Hatari! (1962), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969), Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), and The Wild Geese (1978). In 1960, he purchased a farm in Tanganyika called Ngorongoro, which served as a location for Hatari!, and later resided at the Hatari Lodge ranch.

In the late 1980s, Krüger largely retired from acting to focus on writing and television. He authored 16 books starting in 1970, including novels, travel books, and memoirs, four of which were translated into English. He also directed several European television documentaries showing his travels around the world.

Krüger was married three times: to Renate Densow, Francesca Marazzi, and Anita Park, and had children including Christiane Krüger and Hardy Krüger Jr. Over his career, he received honors including the Bravo Otto awards, Deutscher Filmpreis, Goldene Kamera, Bavarian Film Awards Honorary Award, Officier de la Légion d’Honneur, Bambi Lifetime Achievement Award, Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and a star on the Boulevard der Stars in Berlin. He died at his home in Palm Springs, California, at age 93.