A beloved actor whose career spanned decades and some incredibly famous and treasured shows has passed away at the age of 87.
New York-born actor, Robert Hogan, from who Hogan’s Heroes drew its name, started his career on Broadway and later moved into television work where he starred in more than 100 different shows and had recurring roles on many!
RIP Robert Hogan, who Hogan's Heroes was named after, and I always thought was cute as a button as Smilin Jack and so many other roles. pic.twitter.com/fFvvRFgTD9
— Julie In Cope 🖤⚰️📻 (@DarkSoulNight) June 2, 2021
Hogan had a pair of small appearances on Hogan’s Heroes in the late 60s and the main character was named after him by the co-creator who was a close friend. Hogan had auditioned to be on the show, but CBS studios wanted to go with someone who had a bigger name as their star in order to draw viewers.
In other, more prominent castings, Hogan appeared as Rev. Tom Winter on ABC’s drama Peyton Place, Assistant DA Stephens on Bright Promise, and had a three-episode arc on Gunsmoke as Capt. Darnell during the “Gold Train” segment.
He also had roles on Batman as a baseball pitcher captured by Mr. Freeze and a recurring spot on Alice as Greg Stimple – who dated Linda Lavin’s waitress.
Beyond these special call-outs, he also appeared on a seemingly endless list of other shows like Hazel, Gomer Pyle, Twilight Zone, I Dream of Jeannie, Law & Order, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hawaii Five-O, Laverne & Shirley, and daytime soap operas like General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, As the World Turns, All My Children, and more.
Hogan’s final credit is listed in 2018 as a character called Haggerty in a short titled The Deplorable.
Robert Hogan passed away at his home in Maine on May 27th, 2021 following complications associated with pneumonia.
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time.