Anton Diffring

Biography: A German-born character lead with a no-nonsense expression and German accent, he graduated from the Academy of Drama in Berlin, then worked in Canadian and American stage productions. He debuted onscreen in the British film State Secret (1950) and specialized in playing spies, villains, and Nazis. Diffring occasionally played the lead in a horror film; he usually appeared in British productions until the '70s, when he worked in German, French, and one Chinese film.