Ivan Dixon

African-American actor and director, Ivan Dixon became best known for portraying Kinchloe on the sitcom "Hogan's Heroes." Born to parents who were shop owners, he spent much of his youth in North Carolina, and studied drama at North Carolina Central University in Durham. Dixon made his Broadway debut in 1957 in William Saroyan's "Cave Dwellers" and then played the part of Joseph Asagai in Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun." Dixon recreated the role in the 1961 film as well as appearing in the 1959 musical "Porgy and Bess." In 1964, Dixon appeared in the critically-lauded independent film "Nothing But a Man" with singer/actress Abbey Lincoln. Dixon had a role in 1965's drama "A Patch of Blue" and compiled a long list of TV appearances, including multiple episodes of the sci-fi anthology series "Twilight Zone" and "The Outer Limits." In 1967 he was nominated for an Emmy for playing the title role in "The Final War of Olly Winter" on "CBS Playhouse." In 1965 he took his most famous role, as POW Kinchloe in the sitcom "Hogan's Heroes," and remained for five seasons - he left before the end of its run, finding the part undemanding. In 1970, he began his career as a director, directing steadily for TV through the early '90s, including episodes of action series "Magnum, P.I." and the films "Trouble Man" (1972) and the controversial espionage drama "The Spook Who Sat By the Door" (1973). Dixon died from kidney failure at age 76.