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How did Robert Clary die? Auschwitz survivor and 'Hogan's Heroes' star dead at 96

Robert Clary was held captive in a Nazi concentration and death camp for as many as 31 months

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Auschwitz survivor Robert Clary, who starred as Corporal LeBeau on 'Hogan's Heroes', has died aged 96. The French actor died Wednesday morning, November 16, at his home in Los Angeles, his granddaughter Kim Wright told The Hollywood Reporter. The cause of death is yet to be revealed.

Clary was well known for his role on the World War II sitcom 'Hogan's Heroes', which ran from September 1965 to April 1971 on CBS. He was notably the last living member of the show's original cast. As a teenager, Clary, along with his family, was taken to Auschwitz. On the day of their arrival, his parents were killed in a gas chamber. "My mother said the most remarkable thing," he recalled in a 2015 interview. "She said, 'Behave.' She probably knew me as a brat. She said, 'Behave. Do what they tell you to do.'"

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Clary remained captive in the Nazi concentration and death camp for as many as 31 months. "Singing, entertaining and being in kind of good health at my age, that's why I survived," he shared.

The actor spoke about his Holocaust experience nearly four decades later. He opened up in his memoir, named 'From the Holocaust to Hogan's Heroes', about how starring in the sitcom created a path for him to talk about his concentration camp experience. "I had to explain that [Hogan's Heroes] was about prisoners of war in a stalag, not a concentration camp, and although I did not want to diminish what soldiers went through during their internments, it was like night and day from what people endured in concentration camps," he wrote.

Clary was also seen in soap operas 'Days of Our Lives', 'The Bold and The Beautiful', and 'The Young and the 'Restless'. He was seen on the big screen in 'Ten Tall Men and Thief of Damascus', and on Broadway in 'New Faces of 1952' and 'Seventh Heaven'. He was married to Natalie Cantor, Eddie Cantor's daughter. Natalie died in 1997.

'He was the last of the original Hogan’s Heroes cast'

Social media mourned Clary's death, with one Twitter user writing, "My god, LeBeau was in Buchenwald. I had no idea. RIP to Robert Clary, a cheery actor who survived unimaginable hardships. He was the last of the original Hogan’s Heroes cast." Another wrote, "Very sad, I grew up on Hogans Heroes and LeBeau was my favorite! His autobiography is amazing to read." "What a great smile. I never noticed it before. I miss the old shows. Real entertainment with no filth," one user said.

"Rest in Peace Mr. Clary. I'm one of millions who enjoyed your character and show. God Bless!" one user wrote, while another said, "I remember meeting Robert Clary at the @simonwiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, where he devoted much of his time and talent to honoring the memory of the victims of the Holocaust. He was a special person. May his memory always be a blessing to all who knew and loved him. BDE". One user said, "I had the pleasure of hearing Robert Clary speak at BU. He spoke solemnly of his past and the Holocaust. I wish everyone could have heard him speak."

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