Background
Milestones
1938
At age 17, he makes his film debut in Money Falls from the Sky.
1941
At age 18, Oskar becomes the youngest member admitted to the prestigious Burgtheater. He adopts the surname Werner as a stage name.
That same year, he is drafted into the German army despite his pacifist views and hatred of Nazism. He will use his acting talent to intentionally flunk out of officer school.
1944
Oskar deserts the German army and flees to the woods with his wife and newborn baby. The family hides out until the end of the war, eating worms and pawning valuable family heirlooms for survival. At one point, Oskar encounters his old regiment, but escapes under the cover of battlefield confusion.
1951
The Hollywood film Decision Before Dawn gets him international attention. However, he quickly grows jaded with the studio system, feeling more like a commodity than a true artist.
1954
He marries Anne Power, the adopted daughter of the movie star Tyrone Power.
1966
He wins the Golden Globe for BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR for his portrayal of a Jewish East German officer in The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. He is also nominated for Best Actor.
1974-1976
He appears in a classic episode of Columbo as a brilliant but murderous inventor.
He makes his final film appearance in Voyage of the Damned a German Jewish refugee.
1977-1980
In his semi-retirement, he performs poetry recitals of works by Goethe, Schiller, and other old masters.
1984
After years of debilitating alcoholism, Oskar passes away at the age of 61. Almost a recluse, he makes his last public appearance at the Mozart Hall in Salzburg. He is buried in Liechtenstein.