Robert Clary, the celebrated actor renowned for his role as Corporal Louis LeBeau in the 1960s sitcom ‘Hogan’s Heroes’, passed away at 96 in his Los Angeles home on November 16, 2022. His granddaughter, Kim Wright, confirmed the news to The Hollywood Reporter.
Beyond his Hollywood acclaim, Clary bore the harrowing distinction of being a Holocaust survivor. At just sixteen, he and his family were sent to Auschwitz. Tragically, Clary emerged as the sole survivor from his family, enduring almost three years in the death camp. Speaking about his survival in a 2015 interview, Clary recalled, “Singing, entertaining and being in kind of good health at my age, that’s why I survived.” He performed for soldiers periodically during his imprisonment.
Born Robert Max Widerman on March 1, 1926, in Paris, Clary began entertaining at twelve. In response to Holocaust deniers, he firmly stated, “For 36 years I kept these experiences during the war locked up inside myself. But those who are attempting to deny the Holocaust… have forced me to speak out.”
Clary leaves behind a legacy in both entertainment and resilience against adversity.
