Sigrid Valdis
Encyclopedia
Sigrid Valdis was the stage name of Patricia Annette Olson, an American actress. She was best known for playing Hilda on Hogan's Heroes
.
and Kraft Television Theatre
before landing the role of Hilda, Colonel Klink's secretary, in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
.
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.
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. 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. Another is run by the fans.
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. Valdis also had three stepchildren from Bob Crane
's earlier marriage to Anne Terzian: Karen, Deborah, and Robert David Crane.
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
.
Early life and career
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 WestThe Wild Wild West
The Wild Wild West is an American television series that ran on CBS for four seasons from September 17, 1965 to April 4, 1969....
and Kraft Television Theatre
Kraft Television Theatre
Kraft Television Theatre is an American drama/anthology television series that began May 7, 1947 on NBC, airing at 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings until December of that year. In January 1948, it moved to 9pm on Wednesdays, continuing in that timeslot until 1958. Initially produced by the J...
before landing the role of Hilda, Colonel Klink's secretary, in the sitcom Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes
Hogan's Heroes is an American television sitcom that ran for 168 episodes from September 17, 1965, to March 28, 1971, on the CBS network. The show was set in a German prisoner of war camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E...
.
Personal life
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.Valdis married for the second time on October 16, 1970, to Hogan's Heroes star Bob Crane
Bob Crane
Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
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.
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. 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. Another is run by the fans.
Death
Valdis died on October 14, 2007, from lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
. 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
Eric Braeden
Eric Braeden is a German-American film and television actor, best known for his role as Victor Newman on the soap opera The Young and the Restless and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic...
of California; and one granddaughter, Robbyn Smith and four grandsons. Valdis also had three stepchildren from Bob Crane
Bob Crane
Robert Edward "Bob" Crane was an American actor and disc jockey, best known for his performance as Colonel Robert E...
's earlier marriage to Anne Terzian: Karen, Deborah, and Robert David Crane.
Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
| 1957 | The Venetian Affair | Uncredited | |
| 1962 | Two Tickets to Paris | Young woman | Uncredited |
| 1965 | Marriage on the Rocks Marriage on the Rocks Marriage on the Rocks is a 1965 film comedy with Frank Sinatra, Deborah Kerr, and Dean Martin about a businessman's wife who ends up divorced by mistake and then married to his best friend by an even bigger mistake. The film was written by Cy Howard and directed by Jack Donohue.Marriage on the... |
Kitty | |
| 1966 | Our Man Flint Our Man Flint Our Man Flint is a 1966 action film that parodies of James Bond genre. The film was directed by Daniel Mann, written by Hal Fimberg and Ben Starr, and starring James Coburn as master spy Derek 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 |