| Sigrid Valdis | |
|---|---|
Sigrid Valdis with future husband Bob Crane on Hogan's Heroes |
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| Born | Patricia Annette Olson September 21, 1935 Bakersfield, California, United States |
| Died | October 14, 2007 (aged 72) Anaheim, California, United States |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1957–1970 |
| Spouse | George Gilbert Ateyeh (1958-1967) Bob Crane (1970-1978) |
Sigrid Valdis (September 21, 1935 – October 14, 2007) was the stage name of Patricia Annette Olson, an American actress. She was best known for playing Hilda on Hogan's Heroes.
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Valdis began acting in the late 1950s. She appeared in bit parts in films and guest starred in several television shows including The Wild Wild West and Kraft Television Theatre before landing the role of Hilda, Colonel Klink's secretary, in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes.
Valdis was married twice. Her first marriage was to fashion businessman George Gilbert Ateyeh, with whom she had a daughter, Melissa. Ateyeh died in 1967.[1]
Valdis married for the second time on October 16, 1970, to Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane on the set of the series. Following the birth of their son in 1971, Valdis retired from acting. In 1978, she moved from the Los Angeles area after Crane was murdered.[2]
In 1980, she moved to Seattle, where in 1998 she joined the cast of her son's syndicated weekly sketch comedy radio show, Shaken, Not Stirred. In 2004, she moved back to her childhood home in Westwood.[2] Though no longer using her stage name, she later oversaw a tribute website to her husband, with a blog where she answered questions from fans of her husband and Hogan's Heroes. A tribute website exists today run by their son, DJ Scott 'Scotty' Crane.[3] Another is run by the fans.[4]
Valdis died on October 14, 2007, from lung cancer in Anaheim, California. She was 72 years old. She was survived by her two daughters, Melissa Smith and Ana Sarmiento; son, Scott; sister, Dale Gudegast and brother-in-law, Hans of California; and one granddaughter, Robbyn Smith and four grandsons.[5] Valdis also had three stepchildren from Bob Crane's earlier marriage to Anne Terzian: Karen, Deborah, and Robert David Crane. [6]
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1957 | The Venetian Affair | Uncredited | |
| 1962 | Two Tickets to Paris | Young woman | Uncredited |
| 1965 | Marriage on the Rocks | Kitty | |
| 1966 | Our Man Flint | Anna | |
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1964 | Kraft Suspense Theatre | Ruby | 1 episode |
| 1965 | The Wild Wild West | Miss Piecemeal | 2 episodes |
| 1966–1971 | Hogan's Heroes | Hilda | 43 episodes |