His vast filmography also includes films like ‘The Human Jungle’, ‘Return of the Seven’, and ‘Battle for the Planet of the Apes’. The family moved from Nelson, Georgia to Bedford, Indiana when Claude was six months old. Not much is known about his parents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zszgd3aX44g. Claude Akins was born on 25th May 1926 in Nelson, Georgia. He had a small part in The Sea Chase with John Wayne. Akins was born in Nelson, Georgia, and grew up in Bedford, Indiana, the son of Maude and Ernest Akins. And if you're tough, they think you're dumb. (fourth and fifth seasons) and The Untouchables. The son of Ernest, a former stonecutter who later became a policeman, and Maude Akins, Claude had an older sister named Hazel. Claude Aubrey Akins was an American character actor with a long career on stage, screen, and television. I feel like an outsider in a business I have been a part of for 37 years. The most Akins families were found in the USA in 1880. | He earned over 200 acting credits including movies and TV over the course of his career. He was best known as Sheriff Lobo on the 1979–1981 television series B. J. and the Bear, and later The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, a spin-off series. Akins continued starring in films and TV right up until the time of his death from cancer in 1994. He was best known as Sheriff Lobo on the 1979–1981 television series B. J. and the Bear, and later The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo, a spin-off series. From Here to Eternity was his first film in 1953, and in 1954, he played a seaman in The Caine Mutiny. He pledged into the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity at Northwestern University. Claude Akins had an earlier role in the first season of Barnaby Jones; episode titled "Murder Go-Round". Proceeds from the event go to the Akins Scholarship and the Bedford Recreation Foundation Scholarship, given every year to a graduating senior at Bedford North Lawrence High School, as well as many projects involving recreation and improvements. The son of a police officer, Akins never seemed short of work and appeared in nearly 100 films and 180+ TV episodes in a career spanning over 40 years. He appeared with Yul Brynner and Robert Fuller in the film Return of the Seven (1966) (also called Return of the Magnificent Seven and The Magnificent Seven 2), and also appeared in the movie Seasons of the Heart (1993). William Windom was his friend and they always play chess. After the war, he graduated in 1949 from Northwestern University, where he had majored in theatre[6] and became a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. His first movie role was in the Oscar-winning drama film ‘From Here to Eternity’. Although not known as a singer, Akins co-hosted the 15th Academy of Country Music Awards. Beverly Garland also appeared in the episode as Nellie Austin, a sharpshooter. Commander Farber in Don't Give Up the Ship (starring Jerry Lewis), Sgt Kolowicz in Merrill's Marauders, Rockwell W. "Rocky" Rockman in The Devil's Brigade, the Reverend Jeremiah Brown in the movie Inherit the Wind (1960), outlaw Ben Lane in Comanche Station that same year, Seely Jones in A Distant Trumpet (1964), and the gorilla leader Aldo in Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973), the last original Apes movie. I know a lot of good actors who simply can't find work. He also serves US Army as a Master Sergeant at the time of World War II in Burma and the Philippines. Akins (/ ˈ eɪ k ɪ n z / or locally / ˈ ɑː k ɪ n z /) is a Scottish surname and northern Irish family name. Akins starred in over 40 episodes of Movin' On, plus a made-for-TV movie "In Tandem". Thomas Claude Akins was born on month day 1889, at birth place, Arkansas, to John Thomas Akin(s) (Eakins) and Louisa Catherine Akin(s) (Eakins) (born (Young) (Akins) Ridenour). Commander Farber in Don't Give Up the Ship In 1966 he worked in film Return of the Seven and in Seasons of the Heart in 1993. The episode was later broadcast on the regular series as "Rodeo Rough House". He appeared on Rod Cameron's early syndicated series, City Detective, Meet McGraw with Frank Lovejoy, the ABC/WB drama, The Roaring 20's, and Police Story. The episode was later broadcast on the regular series as "Rodeo Rough House". He appeared as a seaman and shipmate of Lee Marvin's in The Caine Mutiny (1954). He had worked for U.S. Army Signal Corps in World War II in Burma and the Philippines. In 1965, Akins played El Supremo in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." During the World War II, he served with the US Army Signal Corps in Burma as well as in the Philippines. First performed at the age of 5 in a church play in which he played a bird. If you're big, they think you're tough. In 1965, he was featured in an episode of Kraft Suspense Theatre, playing a German infiltrator who went unsuspected. Much of his work was on Westerns, including Frontier, My Friend Flicka (three times), Boots and Saddles, Northwest Passage, The Restless Gun (four times), Sheriff of Cochise, Wagon Train (four times), Overland Trail, Frontier Circus, The Tall Man, The Rebel, The Big Valley, Daniel Boone, The Legend of Jesse James, Death Valley Days, Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre (four times), The Rifleman (three times), Rawhide (seven times), Gunsmoke (10 times), Bonanza (four times), The Alaskans (twice) and The Texan (twice). He was cast as Jarret Sutton in "Escape to Memphis" (1959) and as Beaudry Rawlins in "Duel on the River" (1960) on Darren McGavin's NBC series, Riverboat. View agent, publicist, legal and company contact details on IMDbPro, 'Planet of Apes' Franchise - Favorite Ape Character. He worked with the great John Wayne on the film Rio Bravo. Also that year, Akins gave a memorable performance as the head of an Irish immigrant family in The Big Valley ("The Brawlers"). Before acting he was a limestone salesman. In 1967, Akins played Lt. Finch in The Lucy Show episode, "Lucy Meets the Law", as he interrogates Lucy as a grand larceny suspect. Akins died of stomach cancer[3] in Pasadena, California. Akins found work in the late 1980s lending his voice talents to the work safety instructional video series, Safety Shorts, in which he expounded the virtues of workplace safety to thousands of industrial employees, offering lessons on the importance of lockout/tagout procedures, personal protective equipment, and the MSDS documentation process. The Claude Akins Memorial Golf Classic,[7] a six-person scramble-format golf tournament, takes place at Otis Park Golf Course in Bedford, Indiana, in August or September of each year. Akins and Garland much later appeared together in the 1963 episode "The Chooser of the Slain" on the ABC/Warner Bros. Western series, The Dakotas. Appeared with Sidney Poitier in two films, "Porgy and Bess" and "The Defiant Ones". He was a golfer and played many golf tournament.He was also a close friend and golfing partner of Robert J. Wilke. Among Akins' four appearances on NBC's Laramie with series stars John Smith and Robert Fuller was the role of former Sheriff Jim Dark in the episode "Queen of Diamonds" (September 20, 1960), with Julie London as Dark's estranged wife, a card dealer using the name "June Brown". By all reports a very gregarious, likable and friendly person off screen, Akins was married for over 40 years to Theresa "Pie" Fairfield, and had three children, Claude Marion Jr., Michele & Wendy. He also starred as a Nashville police detective, named Stoney Huff, in a short-lived, hour-long crime drama (cancelled after four episodes) in April 1977 called Nashville 99. The Claude Akins Memorial Golf Classic,[7] a six-person scramble-format golf tournament, takes place at Otis Park Golf Course in Bedford, Indiana, in August or September of each year. Akins was married to Theresa Fairfield from 1952 till his death.