Celebrity Biographies
Hardy Kruger
Because of his bearing and his blue eyes, he was relegated to the roles of a German soldier, although he was a fairly versatile actor. Hardy Kruber, actor of titles such as “A Bridge Too Far” and “Barry Lindon” and star of “Hatari”” with John Wayne, passed away on January 19, 2021, at the age of 93 in Hamburg. “His warmth of heart, joy way of living and his unwavering sense of justice have made him unforgettable”, explains a statement from his representation agency.
Born in Berlin-Wedding, on April 12, 1928, the parents of Franz Eberhard August Krüger –his full name–, the engineer Max Krüger and Auguste Meier, were devoted to the Nazi party, according to the actor in his biography. Hence, he joined the Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) in 1941, at the age of thirteen, and later in the elite National Socialist boarding school “Adolf-Hitler-Schule”. Because of his physical appearance, he was selected as an actor in the Nazi propaganda film Junge Adler (1944). At sixteen, Hardy Krüger joined the infantry in the 38th SS Nibelungen Grenadier Division, and was taken prisoner by American troops.
When he was released, Hardy Krüger began his career as an actor, first in theaters in Hamburg, Hanover and Berlin. In cinema he participated in Diese Nacht vergess Ich nie (1949), which was followed by other German productions. In the mid-50s, he traveled to London, where the producer J. Arthur Rank, founder of The Rank Organization, recommended him to appear in The Only Escaped (1957), Bachelor of Hearts (1958) and The Key to the Enigma (1959) . , which launched him internationally. The following year he acted in the successful French film A Taxi for Tobruk (1960), filmed in Spain.
Passionate about Africa, Hardy Krüger acquired in 1960 a rural property in Ngorongoro, present-day Tanzania, a place that would be used for the filming of Hatari! (1962), opposite John Wayne . He played what is perhaps the role of him most remembered of him, Kurt, a Formula One driver until a serious accident forced him to retire, and become a member of the team of hunters led by Sean Mercer (Wayne).
Divorced from fellow actress Renate Denwoe, Hardy Krüger was paired with Francesca Camarazzi and Anita Park. His children From him Christiane Krüger and Hardy Krüger Jr. followed in the footsteps of his mother in the world of acting.
Hardy Krüger was involved in other successful titles, such as Sundays and Cybele (1962), The Flight of the Phoenix (1965), The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1969), Barry Lyndon (1975), A Bridge Too Far (1977), and Wild Ducks. , among others. In 1970 he began his career as a writer and published more than a dozen books.