Larry Hovis
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Larry Hovis (February 20, 1936 – September 9, 2003) was an American singer and actor best known for playing a fictional prisoner of war on the 1960s television sitcom Hogan's Heroes.
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[edit] Early life and career
Hovis was born in Wapato, Washington and moved to Houston, Texas as a small child. As a youth, he was a singer, appearing on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts. Hovis attended the University of Houston. During the mid 1950s, Hovis sang in nightclubs. He attempted songwriting and signed with Capitol Records and released one album.
He also began appearing in local theater productions. After some success, he moved to New York City in 1959 and appeared in Broadway revues such as From A to Z that showcased his singing and comedy talents.
[edit] The move to television
Hovis moved to California in 1963 where he performed stand-up comedy and tried to break into television. In 1964, he was discovered by Andy Griffith's manager and was hired to appear on the hit TV series Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. where he played "Pvt. Larry Gotschalk".
In 1965, Hovis received a promotion of sorts, when he was cast as "Sgt. Andrew Carter" in the television show Hogan's Heroes. Hovis' character was part of a group of five Western Allied POWs; each character had a specialized task or talent (Sgt. Carter was the ordnance expert; in a typical episode of the series, it was Sgt. Carter who would be called upon to make an explosive device).
While Hovis was a regular on Hogan's Heroes, he also did other work in the entertainment industry, including writing the screenplay for the 1966 film spy-spoof Out of Sight. He also appeared in and wrote comedy bits for Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.
[edit] After Hogan's Heroes
After Hogan's Heroes was cancelled in 1971, Hovis appeared in several TV shows. He also produced and appeared in the mid-1970s game show Liar's Club.
On Hogan's Heroes, as one of the incidental plot elements, it was revealed that Hovis' character was part Sioux; in fact, Hovis was Native American (he belonged to the Yakama tribe. In an episode of the TV show Alice, Hovis portrayed a Native American Police detective who arrests a fake Native American.}
Beginning in the 1990s, Hovis taught drama at Texas State University-San Marcos in San Marcos, Texas.
Larry Hovis died in Austin, Texas of esophageal cancer in 2003.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Larry Hovis website
