Claude Akins

Akins played in many golf tournaments to raise money for various charities.

Claude Akins was always a very friendly, likeable, and goodnatured person off screen.

After his stint in World War II ended, Akins worked briefly as a salesman before getting into acting.

Akins made his film debut in the classic 1953 film From Here to Eternity.

Akins filled in for Neville Brand on five episodes of Laredo when Brand took a rest from the series because of the grind.

Upon his death, Akins' was cremated and his ashes given to family members.

Akins was married to Theresa Fairfield from 1952 until his death. The couple had three children: Claude, Jr., Michelle, and Wendy.

Akins stood 6 feet, 1 inch tall when doing battle with John Wayne in the classic 1959 Western Rio Bravo.

Akins' best friend in Hollywood was fellow thespian Robert J. Wilke.

Akins was an avid golfer in real life.

Akins was a graduate of Northwestern University.

Though born in Nelson, GA, Akins grew up in the town of Bedford, Indiana.

Akins twice played Native American characters on television. Once for laughs on an episode of I Love Lucy and once for serious drama on an episode of Daniel Boone.

Claude was both well-recognized and lampooned for his role in Poligrip commercials in the 1980s, in which he would hold up a dental bridge and put a seed underneath them, saying "Ouch" to illustrate what would happen to denture wearers that didn't use Poligrip.

Claude served in the US Army Signal Corps in the Phillipines and Burma in World War Two.